Porcine collagens and gelatins

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides animal collagens and gelatins and compositions thereof, and methods of producing the same.

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/709,700, filed Nov. 10, 2000, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/439,058, filed Nov. 12, 1999, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to the recombinant synthesis of collagens and gelatins derived from animal sequences. The present invention also relates to novel polynucleotide sequences encoding bovine and porcine collagens, and to the encoded polypeptide sequences, and to the use of such sequences in the recombinant production of animal collagens and gelatins.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The most abundant component of the extracellular matrix is collagen. Collagens are a large family of fibrous proteins, characterized by the presence of triple-stranded helical domains. Collagen molecules are generally the result of the trimeric assembly of polypeptide chains containing (-Gly-X-Y-)_(n) repeats which allow for the formation of triple helical domains (van der Rest et al. (1991) FASEB J. 5:2814-2823).

[0004] Collagen

[0005] Presently, about twenty distinct collagen types have been identified in vertebrates, including bovine, ovine, porcine, chicken, and human collagens. Generally, the collagen types are numbered by Roman numerals, and the chains found in each collagen type are identified by Arabic numerals. Detailed descriptions of structure and biological functions of the various different types of naturally occurring collagens are generally available in the art. (See, e.g., Ayad et al. (1998) The Extracellular Matrix Facts Book, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif.; Burgeson, R. E., and Nimmi (1992) “Collagen types: Molecular Structure and Tissue Distribution” in Clin. Orthop. 282:250-272; Kielty, C. M. et al. (1993) “The Collagen Family: Structure, Assembly And Organization In The Extracellular Matrix,” Connective Tissue And Its Heritable Disorders, Molecular Genetics, And Medical Aspects, Royce, P. M. and B. Steinmann eds., Wiley-Liss, NY, pp. 103-147; and Prockop, D. J. and K. I. Kivirikko (1995) “Collagens: Molecular Biology, Diseases, and Potentials for Therapy,” Annu. Rev. Biochem., 64:403-434.)

[0006] Type I collagen is the major fibrillar collagen of bone and skin, comprising approximately 80-90% of an organism's total collagen. Type I collagen is the major structural macromolecule present in the extracellular matrix of multicellular organisms and comprises approximately 20% of total protein mass. Type I collagen is a heterotrimeric molecule comprising two α1(I) chains and one α2(I) chain, encoded by the COL1A1 and COL1A2 genes, respectively. Other collagen types are less abundant than type I collagen, and exhibit different distribution patterns. For example, type II collagen is the predominant collagen in cartilage and vitreous humor, while type III collagen is found at high levels in blood vessels and to a lesser extent in skin.

[0007] Type II collagen is a homotrimeric collagen comprising three identical α1(II) chains encoded by the COL2A1 gene. Purified type II collagen may be prepared from tissues by, methods known in the art, for example, by procedures described in Miller and Rhodes (1982) Methods In Enzymology 82:33-64.

[0008] Type III collagen is a major fibrillar collagen found in skin and vascular tissues. Type III collagen is a homotrimeric collagen comprising three identical α1(III) chains encoded by the COL3A1 gene. Methods for purifying type III collagen from tissues can be found in, for example, Byers et al. (1974) Biochemistry 13:5243-5248; and Miller and Rhodes, supra.

[0009] Type IV collagen is found in basement membranes in the form of sheets rather than fibrils. Most commonly, type IV collagen contains two α1(IV) chains and one α2(IV) chain. The particular chains comprising type IV collagen are tissue-specific. Type IV collagen may be purified using, for example, the procedures described in Furuto and Miller (1987) Methods in Enzymology, 144:41-61, Academic Press.

[0010] Type V collagen is a fibrillar collagen found in, primarily, bones, tendon, cornea, skin, and blood vessels. Type V collagen exists in both homotrimeric and heterotrimeric forms. One form of type V collagen is a heterotrimer of two α1(V) chains and one α2(V) chain. Another form of type V collagen is a heterotrimer of α1(V), α2(V), and α3(V) chains. A further form of type V collagen is a homotrimer of α1(V). Methods for isolating type V collagen from natural sources can be found, for example, in Elstow and Weiss (1983) Collagen Rel. Res. 3:181-193, and Abedin et al. (1982) Biosci. Rep. 2:493-502.

[0011] Type VI collagen has a small triple helical region and two large non-collagenous remainder portions. Type VI collagen is a heterotrimer comprising α1(VI), α2(VI), and α3(VI) chains. Type VI collagen is found in many connective tissues. Descriptions of how to purify type VI collagen from natural sources can be found, for example, in Wu et al. (1987) Biochem. J. 248:373-381, and Kielty et al. (1991) J. Cell Sci. 99:797-807.

[0012] Type VII collagen is a fibrillar collagen found in particular epithelial tissues. Type VII collagen is a homotrimeric molecule of three α1(VII) chains. Descriptions of how to purify type VII collagen from tissue can be found in, for example, Lunstrum et al. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261:9042-9048, and Bentz et al. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80:3168-3172.

[0013] Type VIII collagen can be found in Descemet's membrane in the cornea. Type VIII collagen is a heterotrimer comprising two α1(VIII) chains and one α2(VIII) chain, although other chain compositions have been reported. Methods for the purification of type VIII collagen from nature can be found, for example, in Benya and Padilla (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261:4160-4169, and Kapoor et al. (1986) Biochemistry 25:3930-3937.

[0014] Type IX collagen is a fibril-associated collagen found in cartilage and vitreous humor. Type IX collagen is a heterotrimeric molecule comprising α1(IX), α2(IX), and α3 (IX) chains. Type IX collagen has been classified as a FACIT (Fibril Associated Collagens with Interrupted Triple Helices) collagen, possessing several triple helical domains separated by non-triple helical domains. Procedures for purifying type IX collagen can be found, for example, in Duance, et al. (1984) Biochem. J. 221:885-889; Ayad et al. (1989) Biochem. J. 262:753-761; and Grant et al. (1988) The Control of Tissue Damage, Glauert, A. M., ed., Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, pp. 3-28.

[0015] Type X collagen is a homotrimeric compound of α1(X) chains. Type X collagen has been isolated from, for example, hypertrophic cartilage found in growth plates. (See, e.g., Apte et al. (1992) Eur J Biochem 206 (1):217-24.)

[0016] Type XI collagen can be found in cartilaginous tissues associated with type II and type IX collagens, and in other locations in the body. Type XI collagen is a heterotrimeric molecule comprising α1(XI), α2(XI), and α3(XI) chains. Methods for purifying type XI collagen can be found, for example, in Grant et al., supra.

[0017] Type XII collagen is a FACIT collagen found primarily in association with type I collagen. Type XII collagen is a homotrimeric molecule comprising three α1(XII) chains. Methods for purifying type XII collagen and variants thereof can be found, for example, in Dublet et al. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264:13150-13156; Lunstrum et al. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267:20087-20092; and Watt et al. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267:20093-20099.

[0018] Type XIII is a non-fibrillar collagen found, for example, in skin, intestine, bone, cartilage, and striated muscle. A detailed description of type XIII collagen may be found, for example, in Juvonen et al. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267:24700-24707.

[0019] Type XIV is a FACIT collagen characterized as a homotrimeric molecule comprising α1(XIV) chains. Methods for isolating type XIV collagen can be found, for example, in Aubert-Foucher et al. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267:15759-15764, and Watt et al., supra.

[0020] Type XV collagen is homologous in structure to type XVIII collagen. Information about the structure and isolation of natural type XV collagen can be found, for example, in Myers et al. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:10144-10148; Huebner et al. (1992) Genomics 14:220-224; Kivirikko et al. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269:4773-4779; and Muragaki, J. (1994) Biol. Chem. 264:4042-4046.

[0021] Type XVI collagen is a fibril-associated collagen, found, for example, in skin, lung fibroblast, and keratinocytes. Information on the structure of type XVI collagen and the gene encoding type XVI collagen can be found, for example, in Pan et al. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:6565-6569; and Yamaguchi et al. (1992) J. Biochem. 112:856-863.

[0022] Type XVII collagen is a hemidesmosal transmembrane collagen, also known at the bullous pemphigoid antigen. Information on the structure of type XVII collagen and the gene encoding type XVII collagen can be found, for example, in Li et al. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268(12):8825-8834; and McGrath et al. (1995) Nat. Genet. 11(1):83-86.

[0023] Type XVIII collagen is similar in structure to type XV collagen and can be isolated from the liver. Descriptions of the structures and isolation of type XVIII collagen from natural sources can be found, for example, in Rehn and Pihlajaniemi (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 91:4234-4238; Oh et al. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 91:4229-4233; Rehn et al. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269:13924-13935; and Oh et al. (1994) Genomics 19:494-499.

[0024] Type XIX collagen is believed to be another member of the FACIT collagen family, and has been found in mRNA isolated from rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Descriptions of the structures and isolation of type XIX collagen can be found, for example, in Inoguchi et al. (1995) J. Biochem. 117:137-146; Yoshioka et al. (1992) Genomics 13:884-886; and Myers et al., J. Biol. Chem. 289:18549-18557 (1994).

[0025] Type XX collagen is a newly found member of the FACIT collagenous family, and has been identified in chick cornea. (See, e.g., Gordon et al. (1999) FASEB Journal 13:A 119; and Gordon et al. (1998), IOVS 39:S 1128.)

[0026] Gelatin

[0027] Gelatin is a derivative of collagen, a principal structural and connective protein in animals. Gelatin is derived from denaturation of collagen and contains polypeptide sequences having Gly-X-Y repeats, where X and Y are most often proline and hydroxyproline residues. These sequences contribute to triple helical structure and affect the gelling ability of gelatin polypeptides. Currently available gelatin is extracted through processing of animal hides and bones, typically from bovine and porcine sources. The biophysical properties of gelatin make it a versatile material, widely used in a variety of applications and industries. Gelatin is used, for example, in numerous pharmaceutical and medical, photographic, industrial, cosmetic, and food and beverage products and processes of manufacture. Gelatin is thus a commercially valuable and versatile product.

[0028] Gelatin is typically manufactured from naturally occurring collagen in bovine and porcine sources, in particular, from hides and bones. In some instances, gelatin can be extracted from, for example, piscine, chicken, or equine sources. Raw materials of typical gelatin production, such as bovine hides and bones, originate from animals subject to government-certified inspection and passed as fit for human consumption. There is concern over the infectivity of this raw material, due to the presence of contaminating agents such as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), particularly bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and scrapie, etc. (See, e.g., Rohwer, R. G. (1996), Dev Biol Stand 88:247-256.) Such issues are especially critical to gelatin used in pharmaceutical and medical applications.

[0029] Recently, concern about the safety of these materials, a significant portion of which are derived from bovine sources, has increased, causing various gelatin-containing products to become the focus of several regulatory measures to reduce the potential risk of transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), linked to new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJD), a fatal neurological disease in humans. There is concern that purification steps currently used in the process of extracting gelatin from animal tissues and bones may not be sufficient to remove the likelihood of infectivity due to contaminating SE-carrying tissue (i.e., brain tissue, etc.). U.S. and European manufacturers specify that raw material for gelatin to be included in animal or human food products or in pharmaceutical, medical, or cosmetic applications must not be obtained from a growing number of BSE countries. In addition, regulations specify that certain materials, e.g., bovine brain tissues, are not used in the production of gelatin.

[0030] Current production processes involve several purification and cleansing steps, and can require harsh and lengthy modes of extraction. The animal hides and bones are treated in a rendering process, and the extracted material is subjected to various chemical treatments, including prolonged exposure to highly acidic or alkaline solutions. Numerous purification steps can involve washing and filtration and various heat treatments. Acid demineralization and lime treatments are used to remove impurities such as non-collagenous proteins. Bones must be degreased. Additional washing and filtration steps, ion exchanges, and other chemical and sterilizing treatments are added to the process to further purify the material. Furthermore, contaminants and impurities can still remain after processing, and the resultant gelatin product must thus typically be clarified, purified, and often further concentrated before being ready for use.

[0031] Commercial gelatin is generally classified as type A or type B. These classifications reflect the pre-treatment extraction sources receive as part of the extraction process. Type A is generally derived from acid-processed materials, usually porcine hides, and type B is generally derived from alkaline- or lime-processed materials, usually bovine bones (ossein) and hides. In both type A and B extraction processes, the resultant gelatin product typically comprises a mixture of gelatin molecules, in sizes of from a few thousand up to several hundred thousand Daltons.

[0032] Fish gelatin, classified as gelling or non-gelling types, and typically processed as Type A gelatin, is also used in certain commercial applications. Gelling types are usually derived from the skins of warm water fish, while non-gelling types are typically derived from cold water fish. Fish gelatins have widely varying amino acid compositions, and differ from animal gelatins in having typically lower proportions of proline and hydroxyproline residues. In contrast to other animal gelatins, fish gelatins typically remain liquid at much lower temperatures, even at comparable average molecular weights. As with animal gelatin, fish gelatin is extracted by treatment and subsequent hydrolyzation of fish skin. Again, as with animal extraction processes, the process of extracting fish gelatin results in a product that lacks homogeneity.

[0033] Current methods of extraction thus result in a gelatin product that is a heterogeneous mixture of proteins, containing polypeptides with molecular weight distributions of varying ranges. It is sometimes necessary to blend various lots of product in order to obtain a gelatin mixture with the physical properties appropriate for use in a desired application. There is thus a need for a reliable and reproducible means of gelatin production that provides a homogenous product with controlled characteristics.

[0034] In addition, in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food and beverage industries, especially, there is a need for a source of gelatin other than that obtained through extraction from animal sources, e.g., bovine, porcine bones and tissues. Further, as currently available gelatin is manufactured from animal sources such as bones and tissues, there are concerns relating to the undesirable immunogenicity and infectivity of gelatin-containing products. (See, e.g., Sakaguchi, M. et al. (1999) J. Aller. Clin. Immunol. 104:695-699; Miyazawa et al. (1999) Vaccine 17:2176-2180; Sakaguchi et al. (1999) Immunology 96:286-290; Kelso (1999) J Aller. Clin Immunol. 103:200-202; Asher (1999) Dev Biol Stand 99:41-44; and Verdrager (1999) Lancet 354:1304-1305.) In addition, the availability of a substitute material that does not undergo extraction from animal sources, e.g., tissues and bones, will address various ethical, religious, and social dictates. A recombinant material that does not require extraction from animal sources, such as tissues and bones, could be used, for example, in the manufacture of foods and other ingested products, including encapsulated medicines, that are appropriate for use by people with dietary restrictions, for example, those who follow Kosher and Halal law.

[0035] Post-Translational Enzymes

[0036] Post-translational enzymes are important to the biosynthesis of collagens and collagenous proteins. For example, prolyl 4-hydroxylase is required to hydroxylate prolyl residues in the Y-position of the repeating -Gly-X-Y- sequences to 4-hydroxyproline. (See, e.g., Prockop et al. (1984) N. Engl. J. Med. 311:376-386.) Hydroxyproline plays a critical role for stabilization of the collagen triple helix.

[0037] Vertebrate prolyl 4-hydroxylase is an α₂β₂ tetramer. (See, e.g. Berg and Prockop. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248:1175-1192; and Tuderman et al. (1975) Eur. J. Biochem. 52:9-16.) The α subunits (63 kDa) contain the catalytic sites involved in the hydroxylation of prolyl residues, and are insoluble in the absence of β subunits. The β subunits (55 kDa), identical to protein disulfide isomerase, catalyze thiol/disulfide interchange protein substrate, leading to the formation of a set of disulfide bonds essential to establishing a stable protein. The β subunits retain 50% of protein disulfide isomerase activity when part of the prolyl 4-hydroxylase tetramer. (See, e.g., Pihlajaniemi et al. (1987) Embo J. 6:643-649; Parkkonen et al. (1988) Biochem. J. 256:1005-1011; and Koivu et al. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262:6447-6449.) Active recombinant human prolyl 4-hydroxylase has been produced in insect cells by simultaneously expressing the α and β subunits. (See, e.g., Vuori et al. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:7467-7470.)

[0038] In addition to prolyl 4-hydroxylase, other collagen post-translational enzymes have been identified and reported in the literature, including, for example, C-proteinase, N-proteinase, lysyl oxidase, and lysyl hydroxylase. (See, e.g., Olsen et al. (1991) Cell Biology of Extracellular Matrix, 2^(nd) ed., Hay editor, Plenum Press, New York.)

[0039] Expression of many exogenous genes is readily obtained in a variety of recombinant host-vector systems. However, expression becomes difficult if the final formation of the protein requires extensive post-translational processing. For example, prolyl 4-hydroxylase activity is clearly an essential requirement for hydroxylation in nature of collagenous domains. Supplementation of prolyl 4-hydroxylase activity is required in expression systems deficient of prolyl 4-hydroxylase endogenous activity, in order to provide hydroxylation systems as found in nature.

[0040] Failure to obtain reliable and stable recombinant expression of genes for collagens has prevented the production of collagens and gelatins that have a number of useful applications. In addition, many types of collagen are only available in trace quantities present in tissues, and cannot be obtained in significant quantities from these sources. Furthermore, non-collagenous impurities can be left over after or introduced during the extraction and purification processes.

SUMMARY

[0041] In summary, although the characteristics of commercially available animal collagens and gelatins are suitable for many products, the variability in these currently available materials, and the difficulties associated with optimizing these materials for use in various applications, provide little flexibility. As a result, there is a need in the art for an efficient system that allows the starting material to be modified at the genetic and molecular levels, providing the potential for producing recombinant collagens and gelatins, specifically tailored and standardized for different applications and markets. Furthermore, existing concern over the risks of immunogenicity and infectivity associated with the use of the extracted materials currently available has established a need for a pure and safe substitute material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0042] The present invention provides animal collagens and gelatins, and methods of producing these animal collagens and gelatins. Therefore, in one aspect, the present invention encompasses an isolated and purified polypeptide comprising a bovine or porcine polypeptide selected from the group consisting of α1(I) collagens, α2(I) collagens, and α1(III) collagens, and fragments and variants of these collagens.

[0043] In one embodiment, the invention provides an isolated and purified polypeptide comprising a bovine α1(I) collagen or fragments or variants thereof. In certain embodiments, the polypeptide is single-chain, or homotrimeric, or heterotrimeric. In one aspect, the polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 or fragments or variants thereof. A composition comprising the polypeptide is also provided.

[0044] In a further embodiment, the present invention encompasses an isolated and purified polynucleotide encoding a bovine α1(I) collagen or fragments or variants thereof, and an isolated and purified polynucleotide that is complementary to the polynucleotide encoding a bovine α1(I) collagen or fragments or variants thereof. The present invention provides, in one embodiment, an isolated and purified polynucleotide encoding SEQ ID NO:2 or fragments or variants thereof. Compositions, expression vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotide are also provided. In various embodiments, the host cell is a prokaryotic cell or a eukaryotic cell, specifically, an animal, yeast, plant, insect, or fungal cell. In some embodiments, the present invention provides transgenic animals and transgenic plants comprising the polynucleotide. In one aspect, the present invention encompasses a method for producing a bovine α1(I) collagen, the method comprising culturing the host cell comprising the polynucleotide under conditions suitable for expression of the bovine α1(I) collagen, and recovering the bovine α1(I) collagen from the host cell culture.

[0045] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides recombinant collagens and recombinant gelatins comprising bovine α1(I) collagen or fragments or variants thereof. The invention specifically provides recombinant collagens and gelatins comprising SEQ ID NO:2 or fragments or variants thereof.

[0046] In one embodiment, the invention provides an isolated and purified polypeptide comprising a bovine α1(III) collagen or fragments or variants thereof. In certain embodiments, the polypeptide is single-chain, or homotrimeric, or heterotrimeric. In one aspect, the polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:4 or SEQ ID NO:6 or fragments or variants thereof. A composition comprising the polypeptide is also provided.

[0047] In a further embodiment, the present invention encompasses an isolated and purified polynucleotide encoding a bovine α1(III) collagen or fragments or variants thereof, and an isolated and purified polynucleotide that is complementary to the polynucleotide encoding a bovine α1(III) collagen or fragments or variants thereof The present invention provides, in one embodiment, an isolated and purified polynucleotide encoding SEQ ID NO:4 or SEQ ID NO:6 or fragments or variants thereof. Compositions, expression vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotide are also provided. In various embodiments, the host cell is a prokaryotic cell or a eukaryotic cell, specifically, an animal, yeast, plant, insect, or fungal cell. In some embodiments, the present invention provides transgenic animals and transgenic plants comprising the polynucleotide. In one aspect, the present invention encompasses a method for producing a bovine α1(III) collagen, the method comprising culturing the host cell comprising the polynucleotide under conditions suitable for expression of the bovine α1(III) collagen, and recovering the bovine α1(III) collagen from the host cell culture.

[0048] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides recombinant collagens and recombinant gelatins comprising bovine α1(III) collagen or fragments or variants thereof. The invention specifically provides recombinant collagens and gelatins comprising SEQ ID NO:4 or SEQ ID NO:6 or fragments or variants thereof.

[0049] In one embodiment, the invention provides an isolated and purified polypeptide comprising a porcine α1(I) collagen or fragments or variants thereof. In certain embodiments, the polypeptide is single-chain, or homotrimeric, or heterotrimeric. In one aspect, the polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:8 or fragments or variants thereof. A composition comprising the polypeptide is also provided.

[0050] In a further embodiment, the present invention encompasses an isolated and purified polynucleotide encoding a porcine α1(I) collagen or fragments or variants thereof, and an isolated and purified polynucleotide that is complementary to the polynucleotide encoding a porcine α1(I) collagen or fragments or variants thereof. The present invention provides, in one embodiment, an isolated and purified polynucleotide encoding SEQ ID NO:8 or fragments or variants thereof. Compositions, expression vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotide are also provided. In various embodiments, the host cell is a prokaryotic cell or a eukaryotic cell, specifically, an animal, yeast, plant, insect, or fungal cell. In some embodiments, the present invention provides transgenic animals and transgenic plants comprising the polynucleotide. In one aspect, the present invention encompasses a method for producing a porcine α1(I) collagen, the method comprising culturing the host cell comprising the polynucleotide under conditions suitable for expression of the porcine α1(I) collagen, and recovering the porcine α1(I) collageen from the host cell culture.

[0051] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides recombinant collagens and recombinant gelatins comprising porcine α1(I) collagen or fragments or variants thereof. The invention specifically provides for recombinant collagens and gelatins comprising SEQ ID NO:8 or fragments or variants thereof.

[0052] In one embodiment, the invention provides an isolated and purified polypeptide comprising a porcine α2(I) collagen or fragments or variants thereof. In certain embodiments, the polypeptide is single-chain, or homotrimeric, or heterotrimeric. In one aspect, the polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:10 or fragments or variants thereof. A composition comprising the polypeptide is also provided.

[0053] In a further embodiment, the present invention encompasses an isolated and purified polynucleotide encoding a porcine α2(I) collagen or fragments or variants thereof, and an isolated and purified polynucleotide that is complementary to the polynucleotide encoding a porcine β2(I) collagen or fragments or variants thereof. The present invention provides, in one embodiment, an isolated and purified polynucleotide encoding SEQ ID NO:10 or fragments or variants thereof. Compositions, expression vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotide are also provided.

[0054] In various embodiments, the host cell is a prokaryotic cell or a eukaryotic cell, specifically, an animal, yeast, plant, insect, or fungal cell. In some embodiments, the present invention provides transgenic animals and transgenic plants comprising the polynucleotide. In one aspect, the present invention encompasses a method for producing a porcine α2(I) collagen, the method comprising culturing the host cell comprising the polynucleotide under conditions suitable for expression of the porcine α2(I) collagen, and recovering the porcine α2(I) collagen from the host cell culture.

[0055] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides recombinant collagens and recombinant gelatins comprising porcine α2(I) collagen or fragments or variants thereof. The invention specifically provides for recombinant collagens and gelatins comprising SEQ ID NO:10 fragments or variants thereof.

[0056] In one embodiment, the invention provides an isolated and purified polypeptide comprising a porcine α1(II) collagen or fragments or variants thereof. In certain embodiments, the polypeptide is single-chain, or homotrimeric, or heterotrimeric. In one aspect, the polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:12 or fragments or variants thereof. A composition comprising the polypeptide is also provided.

[0057] In a further embodiment, the present invention encompasses an isolated and purified polynucleotide encoding a porcine α1(III) collagen or fragments or variants thereof, and an isolated and purified polynucleotide that is complementary to the polynucleotide a porcine α1(III) collagen or fragments or variants thereof. The present invention provides, in one embodiment, an isolated and purified polynucleotide encoding SEQ ID NO:12 or fragments or variants thereof.

[0058] Compositions, expression vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotide are also provided. In various embodiments, the host cell is a prokaryotic cell or a eukaryotic cell, specifically, an animal, yeast, plant, insect, or fungal cell. In some embodiments, the present invention provides transgenic animals and transgenic plants comprising the polynucleotide. In one aspect, the present invention encompasses a method for producing a porcine α1(III) collagen, the method comprising culturing the host cell comprising the polynucleotide under conditions suitable for expression of the porcine α1(III) collagen, and recovering the porcine α1(III) collagen from the host cell culture.

[0059] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides recombinant collagens and recombinant gelatins comprising porcine α1(III) collagen or fragments or variants thereof. The invention specifically provides for recombinant collagens and gelatins comprising SEQ ID NO:12 or fragments or variants thereof.

[0060] Methods for producing recombinant animal collagens and gelatins are also provided. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for producing recombinant animal collagen, the method comprising introducing into a host cell at least one expression vector comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding an animal collagen or procollagen, and at least one expression vector comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a post-translational enzyme, under conditions which permit the expression of the polynucleotides; and isolating the animal collagen. In a further aspect, the post-translational enzyme is selected from the group consisting of prolyl hydroxylase, peptidyl prolyl isomerase, collagen galactosyl hydroxylysyl glucosyl transferase, hydroxylysyl galactosyl transferase, C-proteinase, N-proteinase, lysyl hydroxylase, and lysyl oxidase. In one embodiment, the post-translational enzyme is selected from the same species as the animal collagen. In another embodiment, the host cell is selected from the same species as the animal collagen. In further embodiments, the host cell does not endogenously produce collagen, or does not endogenously produce a post-translational enzyme. A host cell comprising at least one expression vector encoding an animal and at least one expression vector encoding a post-translational enzyme is specifically provided.

[0061] In one aspect, the present invention provides a recombinant animal collagen of one type substantially free from collagen of any other type. Embodiments wherein the collagen of one type is specifically selected from the group consisting of type I, type II, type III, type IV, type V, type VI, type VII, type VIII, type IX, type X, type XI, type XII, type XIII, type XIV, type XV, type XVI, type XVII, type XVIII, type XIX, and type XX collagen are specifically contemplated.

[0062] Methods for producing recombinant animal gelatins are also provided. In one aspect, the method comprises providing recombinant animal collagen, and deriving recombinant animal gelatin therefrom. In another aspect, the method comprises producing recombinant animal gelatin directly from an altered animal collagen construct.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0063]FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C show a nucleic acid sequence (SEQ NO:1) encoding a bovine α1(I) collagen.

[0064]FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D show the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:2) of a bovine α1(I) collagen.

[0065]FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C show a nucleic acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:3) encoding a bovine α1(III) collagen.

[0066]FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D show the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:4) of a bovine α1(III) collagen.

[0067]FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C show a nucleic acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:5) encoding a bovine α1(III) collagen.

[0068]FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D show the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:6) of a bovine α1(III) collagen.

[0069]FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C show a nucleic acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:7) encoding a porcine α1(I) collagen.

[0070]FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D show the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:8) encoding a porcine α1(I) collagen.

[0071]FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C show a nucleic acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:9) encoding a porcine α2(I) collagen.

[0072]FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C show the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:10) of a porcine α2(I) collagen.

[0073]FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C show a nucleic acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:11) encoding a porcine α1(III) collagen.

[0074]FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 12C show the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:12) of a porcine α1(III) collagen.

[0075]FIGS. 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D, 13E, 13F, 13G, 13H, and 13I depict the translated bovine α1(I) collagen open reading frame sequences aligned with known human (HU), mouse (MUS), dog (CANIS), bullfrog (RANA), and Japanese newt (CYNPS) collagen sequences.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0076] Before the present proteins, nucleotide sequences, and methods are described, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the particular methodology, protocols, cell lines, vectors, and reagents described, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0077] It must be noted that as used herein, and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a host cell” is reference to one or more of such host cells and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and reference to “an antibody” is a reference to one or more antibodies and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth.

[0078] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods, devices, and materials are now described. All publications mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference for the purpose of describing and disclosing the cell lines, vectors, and methodologies, etc., which are reported in the publications which might be used in connection with the invention. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the invention is not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention. Each reference cited herein is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0079] The practice of the present invention will employ, unless otherwise indicated, conventional methods of chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology and pharmacology, within the skill of the art. Such techniques are explained fully in the literature. See, e.g., Gennaro, A. R., ed. (1990) Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 18^(th) ed., Mack Publishing Co.; Colowick, S. et al., eds., Methods In Enzymology, Academic Press, Inc.; Handbook of Experimental Immunology, Vols. I-IV (D. M. Weir and C. C. Blackwell, eds., 1986, Blackwell Scientific Publications); Maniatis, T. et al., eds. (1989) Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2^(nd) edition, Vols. I-III, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; Ausubel, F. M. et al., eds. (1999) Short Protocols in Molecular Biology, 4^(th) edition, John Wiley & Sons; Ream et al., eds. (1998) Molecular Biology Techniques: An Intensive Laboratory Course, Academic Press); PCR (Introduction to Biotechniques Series), 2nd ed. (Newton & Graham eds., 1997, Springer Verlag).

[0080] Definitions

[0081] The term “collagen” refers to any one of the known collagen types, including collagen types I through XX, as well as to any other collagens, whether natural, synthetic, semi-synthetic, or recombinant. The term also encompasses procollagens. The term collagen encompasses any single-chain polypeptide encoded by a single polynucleotide, as well as homotrimeric and heterotrimeric assemblies of collagen chains. The term “collagen” specifically encompasses variants and fragments thereof, and functional equivalents and derivatives thereof, which preferably retain at least one structural or functional characteristic of collagen, for example, a (Gly-X-Y)_(n) domain.

[0082] So, for example, the term “bovine α1(I) collagen” refers to a single-chain bovine α1(I) collagen encoded by a single polynucleotide sequence, and to any corresponding procollagen, or to any fragment, variant, functional equivalent, or derivative thereof. The term “bovine type I collagen” refers to a homotrimeric or heterotrimeric collagen comprising bovine type I collagen chains, and to any corresponding procollagen, or to any fragment, variant, functional equivalent, or derivative thereof.

[0083] The term “procollagen” refers to a procollagen corresponding to any one of the collagen types I through XX, as well as to a procollagen corresponding to any other collagens, whether natural, synthetic, semi-synthetic, or recombinant, that possesses additional C-terminal and/or N-terminal propeptides or telopeptides that assist in trimer assembly, solubility, purification, or any other function, and that then are subsequently cleaved by N-proteinase, C-proteinase, or other enzymes, e.g., proteolytic enzymes, associated with collagen production. The term procollagen specifically encompasses variants and fragments thereof, and functional equivalents and derivatives thereof, which preferably retain at least one structural or functional characteristic of collagen, for example, a (Gly-X-Y)_(n) domain.

[0084] The term “bovine α1(I)” refers to a bovine α1(I) collagen or functional equivalent thereof, and to fragments and variants thereof, and to polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides from any source whether natural, synthetic, semi-synthetic, or recombinant.

[0085] The term “bovine α1(III)” refers to a bovine α1(III) collagen or functional equivalent thereof, to fragments and variants thereof, and to polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides from any source whether natural, synthetic, semi-synthetic, or recombinant.

[0086] The term “porcine α1(I)” refers to a porcine α1(I) collagen or functional equivalent thereof, to fragments and variants thereof, and to polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides from any source whether natural, synthetic, semi-synthetic, or recombinant.

[0087] The term “porcine α2(I)” refers to a porcine α2(I) collagen or functional equivalent thereof, to fragments and variants thereof, and to polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides from any source whether natural, synthetic, semi-synthetic, or recombinant.

[0088] The term “porcine α1(III)” refers to a porcine α1(III) collagen or functional equivalent thereof, to fragments and variants thereof, and to polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides from any source whether natural, synthetic, semi-synthetic, or recombinant.

[0089] “Gelatin” as used herein refers to any gelatin, whether extracted by traditional methods or recombinant or biosynthetic in origin, or to any molecule having at least one structural and/or functional characteristic of gelatin. Gelatin is currently obtained by extraction from collagen derived from animal (e.g., bovine, porcine, rodent, chicken, equine, piscine) sources, e.g., bones and tissues. The term gelatin encompasses both the composition of more than one polypeptide included in a gelatin product, as well as an individual polypeptide contributing to the gelatin material. Thus, the term recombinant gelatin as used in reference to the present invention encompasses both a recombinant gelatin material comprising the present gelatin polypeptides, as well as an individual gelatin polypeptide of the present invention.

[0090] Polypeptides from which gelatin can be derived are polypeptides such as collagens, procollagens, and other polypeptides having at least one structural and/or functional characteristic of collagen. Such a polypeptide could include a single collagen chain, or a collagen homotrimer or heterotrimer, or any fragments, derivatives, oligomers, polymers, or subunits thereof, containing at least one collagenous domain (a Gly-X-Y region). The term specifically contemplates engineered sequences not found in nature, such as altered collagen constructs, etc. An altered collagen construct is a polynucleotide comprising a sequence that is altered, through deletions, additions, substitutions, or other changes, from the naturally occurring collagen gene.

[0091] An “adjuvant” is any agent added to a drug or vaccine to increase, improve, or otherwise aid its effect. An adjuvant used in a vaccine formulation might be an immunological agent that improves the immune response by producing a non-specific stimulator of the immune response. Adjuvants are often used in non-living vaccines.

[0092] The terms “allele” or “allelic sequence” refer to alternative forms of genetic sequences. Alleles may result from at least one mutation in the nucleic acid sequence and may result in altered mRNAs or polypeptides whose structure or function may or may not be altered. Any given natural or recombinant gene may have none, one, or many allelic forms. Common mutational changes which give rise to alleles are generally ascribed to natural deletions, additions, or substitutions of nucleotides. Each of these types of changes may occur alone, or in combination with the others, one or more times in a given sequence.

[0093] “Altered” polynucleotide sequences include those with deletions, insertions, or substitutions of different nucleotides resulting in a polynucleotide that encodes the same or a functionally equivalent polypeptide. Included within this definition are sequences displaying polymorphisms that may or may not be readily detectable using particular oligonucleotide probes or through deletion of improper or unexpected hybridization to alleles, with a locus other than the normal chromosomal locus for the subject polynucleotide sequence.

[0094] “Altered” polypeptides may contain deletions, insertions, or substitutions of amino acid residues which produce a silent change and result in a functionally equivalent polypeptide. Deliberate amino acid substitutions may be made on the basis of similarity in polarity, charge, solubility, hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, and/or the amphipathic nature of the residues as long as the biological or immunological activity of the encoded polypeptide is retained. For example, negatively charged amino acids may include aspartic acid and glutamic acid; positively charged amino acids may include lysine and arginine; and amino acids with uncharged polar head groups having similar hydrophilicity values may include leucine, isoleucine, and valine, glycine and alanine, asparagine and glutamine, serine and threonine, and phenylalanine and tyrosine.

[0095] “Amino acid” or “polypeptide” sequences or “polypeptides,” as these terms are used herein, refer to oligopeptide, peptide, polypeptide, or protein sequences, and fragments thereof, and to naturally occurring or synthetic molecules. Polypeptide or amino acid fragments are any portion of a polypeptide which retains at least one structural and/or functional characteristic of the polypeptide. In at least one embodiment of the present invention, polypeptide fragments are those retaining at least one (Gly-X-Y)_(n) region.

[0096] The term “animal” as it is used in reference, for example, to “animal collagens” encompasses any collagens, whether natural, synthetic, semi-synthetic, or recombinant. Animal sources include, for example, mammalian sources, including, but not limited to, bovine, porcine, equine, rodent, and ovine sources, and other animal sources, including, but not limited to, chicken and piscine sources, and non-vertebrate sources.

[0097] “Antigenicity” relates to the ability of a substance to, when introduced into the body, stimulate the immune response and the production of an antibody. An agent displaying the property of antigenicity is referred to as being antigenic. Antigenic agents can include, but are not limited to, a variety of macromolecules such as, for example, proteins, lipoproteins, polysaccharides, nucleic acids, bacteria and bacterial components, and viruses and viral components.

[0098] The terms “complementary” or “complementarity,” as used herein, refer to the natural binding of polynucleotides by base-pairing. For example, the sequence “A-G-T” binds to the complementary sequence “T-C-A.” Complementarity between two single-stranded molecules may be “partial,” when only some of the nucleic acids bind, or may be complete, when total complementarity exists between the single stranded molecules. The degree of complementarity between nucleic acid strands has significant effects on the efficiency and strength of hybridization between nucleic acid strands. This is of particular importance in amplification reactions, which depend upon binding between nucleic acids strands, and in the design and use, for example, of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) molecules.

[0099] A “deletion” is a change in an amino acid or nucleotide sequence that results in the absence of one or more amino acid residues or nucleotides.

[0100] The term “derivative,” as applied to polynucleotides, refers to the chemical modification of a polynucleotide encoding a particular polypeptide or complementary to a polynucleotide encoding a particular polypeptide. Such modifications include, for example, replacement of hydrogen by an alkyl, acyl, or amino group. As used herein to refer to polypeptides, the term “derivative” refers to a polypeptide which is modified, for example, by hydroxylation, glycosylation, pegylation, or by any similar process. The term “derivatives” encompasses those molecules containing at least one structural and/or functional characteristic of the molecule from which it is derived.

[0101] A molecule is said to be a “chemical derivative” of another molecule when it contains additional chemical moieties not normally a part of the molecule. Such moieties can improve the molecule's solubility, absorption, biological half-life, and the like. The moieties can alternatively decrease the toxicity of the molecule, eliminate or attenuate any undesirable side effect of the molecule, and the like. Moieties capable of mediating such effects are generally available in the art and can be found for example, in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, supra. Procedures for coupling such moieties to a molecule are well known in the art.

[0102] An “excipient” as the term is used herein is any inert substance used as a diluent or vehicle in the formulation of a drug, a vaccine, or other pharmaceutical composition, in order to confer a suitable consistency or form to the drug, vaccine, or pharmaceutical composition.

[0103] The term “functional equivalent” as it is used herein refers to a polypeptide or polynucleotide that possesses at least one functional and/or structural characteristic of a particular polypeptide or polynucleotide. A functional equivalent may contain modifications that enable the performance of a specific function. The term “functional equivalent” is intended to include fragments, mutants, hybrids, variants, analogs, or chemical derivatives of a molecule.

[0104] A “fusion protein” is a protein in which peptide sequences from different proteins are operably linked.

[0105] The term “hybridization” refers to the process by which a nucleic acid sequence binds to a complementary sequence through base pairing. Hybridization conditions can be defined by, for example, the concentrations of salt or formamide in the prehybridization and hybridization solutions, or by the hybridization temperature, and are well known in the art. Hybridization can occur under conditions of various stringency.

[0106] In particular, stringency can be increased by reducing the concentration of salt, increasing the concentration of formamide, or raising the hybridization temperature. For example, for purposes of the present invention, hybridization under high stringency conditions occurs in about 50% formamide at about 37° C. to 42° C., and under reduced stringency conditions in about 35% to 25% formamide at about 30° C. to 35° C. In particular, hybridization occurs in conditions of highest stringency at 42° C. in 50% formamide, 5×SSPE, 0.3% SDS, and 200 μg/ml sheared and denatured salmon sperm DNA.

[0107] The temperature range corresponding to a particular level of stringency can be further narrowed by methods known in the art, for example, by calculating the purine to pyrimidine ratio of the nucleic acid of interest and adjusting the temperature accordingly. To remove nonspecific signals, blots can be sequentially washed, for example, at room temperature under increasingly stringent conditions of up to 0.1×SSC and 0.5% SDS. Variations on the above ranges and conditions are well known in the art.

[0108] “Immunogenicity” relates to the ability to evoke an immune response within an organism. An agent displaying the property of immunogenicity is referred to as being immunogenic. Agents can include, but are not limited to, a variety of macromolecules such as, for example, proteins, lipoproteins, polysaccharides, nucleic acids, bacteria and bacterial components, and viruses and viral components. Immunogenic agents often have a fairly high molecular weight (usually greater than 10 kDa).

[0109] “Infectivity” refers to the ability to be infective or the ability to produce infection, referring to the invasion and multiplication of microorganisms, such as bacteria or viruses within the body.

[0110] The terms “insertion” or “addition” refer to a change in a polypeptide or polynucleotide sequence resulting in the addition of one or more amino acid residues or nucleotides, respectively, as compared to the naturally occurring molecule.

[0111] The term “isolated” as used herein refers to a molecule separated not only from proteins, etc., that are present in the natural source of the protein, but also from other components in general, and preferably refers to a molecule found in the presence of, if anything, only a solvent, buffer, ion, or other component normally present in a solution of the same. As used herein, the terms “isolated” and “purified” do not encompass molecules present in their natural source.

[0112] The term “microarray” refers to any arrangement of nucleic acids, amino acids, antibodies, etc., on a substrate. The substrate can be any suitable support, e.g., beads, glass, paper, nitrocellulose, nylon, or any appropriate membrane, etc. A substrate can be any rigid or semi-rigid support including, but not limited to, membranes, filters, wafers, chips, slides, fibers, beads, including magnetic or nonmagnetic beads, gels, tubing, plates, polymers, microparticles, capillaries, etc. The substrate can provide a surface for coating and/or can have a variety of surface forms, such as wells, pins, trenches, channels, and pores, to which the nucleic acids, amino acids, etc., may be bound.

[0113] The term “microorganism” can include, but is not limited to, viruses, bacteria, Chlamydia, rickettsias, mycoplasmas, ureaplasmas, fungi, and parasites, including infectious parasites such as protozoans.

[0114] The terms “nucleic acid” or “polynucleotide” sequences or “polynucleotides” refer to oligonucleotides, nucleotides, or polynucleotides, or any fragments thereof, and to DNA or RNA of natural or synthetic origin which may be single- or double-stranded and may represent the sense or antisense strand, to peptide nucleic acid (PNA), or to any DNA-like or RNA-like material, natural or synthetic in origin. Polynucleotide fragments are any portion of a polynucleotide sequence that retains at least one structural or functional characteristic of the polynucleotide. In one embodiment of the present invention, polynucleotide fragments are those that encode at least one (Gly-X-Y)_(n) region. Polynucleotide fragments can be of variable length, for example, greater than 60 nucleotides in length, at least 100 nucleotides in length, at least 1000 nucleotides in length, or at least 10,000 nucleotides in length.

[0115] The phrase “percent similarity” (% similarity) refers to the percentage of sequence similarity found in a comparison of two or more polypeptide or polynucleotide sequences. Percent similarity can be determined by methods well-known in the art. For example, percent similarity between amino acid sequences can be calculated using the Clustal method. (See, e.g., Higgins, D. G. and P. M. Sharp (1988) Gene 73:237-244.) The Clustal algorithm groups sequences into clusters by examining the distances between all pairs. The clusters are aligned pairwise and then in groups. The percentage similarity between two amino acid sequences, e.g., sequence A and sequence B, is calculated by dividing the length of sequence A, minus the number of gap residues in sequence A, minus the number of gap residues in sequence B, into the sum of the residue matches between sequence A and sequence B, times one hundred. Gaps of low or of no homology between the two amino acid sequences are not included in determining percentage similarity. Percent similarity can be calculated by other methods known in the art, for example, by varying hybridization conditions, and can be calculated electronically using programs such as the MEGALIGN program (DNASTAR Inc., Madison, Wis.).

[0116] As used herein, the term “plant” includes reference to one or more plants, i.e., any eukaryotic autotrophic organisms, such as angiosperms and gymnosperms, monotyledons and dicotyledons, etc., including, but not limited to, soybean, cotton, alfalfa, flax, tomato, sugar, beet, sunflower, potato, tobacco, maize, wheat, rice, lettuce, banana, cassava, safflower, oilseed, rape, mustard, canola, hemp, algae, kelp, etc. The term “plant” also encompasses one or more plant cells. The term “plant cells” includes, but is not limited to, vegetative tissues and organs such as seeds, suspension cultures, embryos, meristematic regions, callus tissue, leaves, roots, shoots, gametophytes, sporophytes, pollen, tubers, corms, bulbs, flowers, fruits, cones, microspores, etc.

[0117] The term “post-translational enzyme” refers to any enzyme that catalyzes post-translational modification of, for example, any collagen or procollagen. The term encompasses, but is not limited to, for example, prolyl hydroxylase, peptidyl prolyl isomerase, collagen galactosyl hydroxylysyl glucosyl transferase, hydroxylysyl galactosyl transferase, C-proteinase, N-proteinase, lysyl hydroxylase, and lysyl oxidase.

[0118] As used herein, the term “promoter” generally refers to a regulatory region of nucleic acid sequence capable of initiating, directing, and mediating the transcription of a polynucleotide sequence. Promoters may additionally comprise recognition sequences, such as upstream or downstream promoter elements, which may influence the transcription rate.

[0119] The term “non-constitutive promoters” refers to promoters that induce transcription via a specific tissue, or may be otherwise under environmental or developmental controls, and includes repressible and inducible promoters such as tissue-preferred, tissue-specific, and cell type-specific promoters. Such promoters include, but are not limited to, the AdH1 promoter, inducible by hypoxia or cold stress, the Hsp70 promoter, inducible by heat stress, and the PPDK promoter, inducible by light.

[0120] Promoters which are “tissue-preferred” are promoters that preferentially initiate transcription in certain tissues. Promoters which are “tissue-specific” are promoters that initiate transcription only in certain tissues. “Cell type-specific” promoters are promoters which primarily drive expression in certain cell types in at least one organ, for example, vascular cells.

[0121] “Inducible” or “repressible” promoters are those under control of the environment, such that transcription is effected, for example, by an environmental condition such as anaerobic conditions, the presence of light, biotic stresses, etc., or in response to internal, chemical, or biological signals, e.g., glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase, AOX1 and AOX2 methanol-inducible promoters, or to physical damage.

[0122] As used herein, the term “constitutive promoters” refers to promoters that initiate, direct, or mediate transcription, and are active under most environmental conditions and states of development or cell differentiation. Examples of constitutive promoters, include, but are not limited to, the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMv) 35S, the 1′- or 2′-promoter derived from T-DNA of Agrobacteriuam tumefaciens, the ubiquitin 1 promoter, the Smas promoter, the cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase promoter, glyceraldehyde dehydrogenase promoter, and the Nos promoter, etc.

[0123] The term “purified” as it is used herein denotes that the indicated molecule is present in the substantial absence of other biological macromolecules, e.g., polynucleotides, proteins, and the like. The term preferably contemplates that the molecule of interest is present in a solution or composition at least 80% by weight; preferably, at least 85% by weight; more preferably, at least 95% by weight; and, most preferably, at least 99.8% by weight. Water, buffers, and other small molecules, especially molecules having a molecular weight of less than about one kDa, can be present.

[0124] The term “substantially purified”, as used herein, refers to nucleic or amino acid sequences that are removed from their natural environment, isolated or separated, and are at least 60% free, preferably 75% free, and most preferably 90% free from other components with which they are naturally associated.

[0125] A “substitution” is the replacement of one or more amino acids or nucleotides by different amino acids or nucleotides, respectively.

[0126] The term “transfection” as used herein refers to the process of introducing an expression vector into a cell. Various transfection techniques are known in the art, for example, microinjection, lipofection, or the use of a gene gun.

[0127] “Transformation”, as defined herein, describes a process by which exogenous nucleic acid sequences, e.g., DNA, enters and changes a recipient cell. Transformation may occur under natural or artificial conditions using various methods well known in the art. Transformation may rely on any known method for the insertion of foreign nucleic acid sequences into a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell. The method is selected based on the type of host cell being transformed and may include, but is not limited to, viral infection, electroporation, heat shock, lipofection, and particle bombardment. Such “transformed” cells include stably transformed cells in which the inserted DNA is capable of replication either as an autonomously replicating plasmid or as part of the host chromosome, and also include cells which transiently express the inserted nucleic acid for limited periods of time.

[0128] As used herein, the term “vaccine” refers to a preparation of killed or modified microorganisms, living attenuated organisms, or living fully virulent organisms, or any other agent, including, but not limited to peptides, proteins, biological macromolecules, or nucleic acids, natural, synthetic, or semi-synthetic, administered to produce or artificially increase immunity to a particular disease, in order to prevent future infection with a similar entity. Vaccines can be live or inactivated microorganisms or agents, including viruses and bacteria, as well as subunit, synthetic, semi-synthetic, or recombinant DNA-based.

[0129] Vaccines can be monovalent (a single strain/microorganism/disease vaccine) consisting of one microorganism or agent (e.g., poliovirus vaccine) or the antigens of one microorganism or agent. Vaccines can also be multivalent, e.g., divalent, trivalent, etc. (a combined vaccine), consisting of more than one microorganism or agent (e.g., a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine) or the antigens of more than one microorganism or agent.

[0130] Live vaccines are prepared from living microorganisms. Attenuated vaccines are live vaccines prepared from microorganisms which have undergone physical alteration (such as radiation or temperature conditioning) or serial passage in laboratory animal hosts or infected tissue/cell cultures, such treatments producing a virulent strains or strains of reduced virulence, but maintaining the capability of inducing protective immunity. Examples of live attenuated vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella, and canine distemper. Inactivated vaccines are vaccines in which the infectious microbial components have been destroyed, e.g., by chemical or physical treatment (such as formalin, beta-propiolactone, or gamma radiation), without affecting the antigenicity or immunogenicity of the viral coat or bacterial outer membrane proteins. Examples of inactivated or subunit vaccines include influenza, Hepatitis A, and poliomyelitis (IPV) vaccines.

[0131] Subunit vaccines are composed of key macromolecules from, e.g., the viral, bacterial, or other agent responsible for eliciting an immune response. These components can be obtained in a number of ways, for example, through purification from microorganisms, generation using recombinant DNA technology, etc. Subunit vaccines can contain synthetic mimics of any infective agent. Subunit vaccines can include macromolecules such as bacterial protein toxins (e.g., tetanus, diphtheria), viral proteins (e.g., from influenza virus), polysaccharides from encapsulated bacteria (e.g., from Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumonia), and viruslike particles produced by recombinant DNA technology (e.g., hepatitis B surface antigen), etc.

[0132] Synthetic vaccines are vaccines made up of small synthetic peptides that mimic the surface antigens of pathogens and are immunogenic, or may be vaccines manufactured with the aid of recombinant DNA techniques, including whole viruses whose nucleic acids have been modified.

[0133] Semi-synthetic vaccines, or conjugate vaccines, consist of polysaccharide antigens from microorganisms attached to protein carrier molecules.

[0134] DNA vaccines contain recombinant DNA vectors encoding antigens, which, upon expression of the encoded antigen in host cells having taken up the DNA, induce humoral and cellular immune responses against the encoded antigens.

[0135] Vaccines have been developed for a variety of infectious agents. The present invention is directed to recombinant gelatins that can be used in vaccine formulations regardless of the agent involved, and are thus not limited to use in the vaccines specifically described herein by way of example. Vaccines include, but are not limited to, vaccines for vacinnia virus (small pox), polio virus (Salk and Sabin), mumps, measles, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, Varicella-Zoster (chicken pox/shingles), pertussis (whopping cough), Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG, tuberculosis), haemophilus influenzae meningitis, rabies, cholera, Japanese encephalitis virus, salmonella typhi, shigella, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, adenovirus, yellow fever, foot-and-mouth disease, herpes simplex virus, respiratory syncytial virus, rotavirus, Dengue, West Nile virus, Turkey herpes virus (Marek's Disease), influenza, and anthrax. The term vaccine as used herein includes reference to vaccines to various infectious and autoimmune diseases and cancers that have been or that will be developed, for example, vaccines to various infectious and autoimmune diseases and cancers, e.g., vaccines to HIV, HCV, malaria, and vaccines to breast, lung, colon, renal, bladder, and ovarian cancers.

[0136] A polypeptide or amino acid “variant” is an amino acid sequence that is altered by one or more amino acids from a particular amino acid sequence. A polypeptide variant may have conservative changes, wherein a substituted amino acid has similar structural or chemical properties to the amino acid replaced, e.g., replacement of leucine with isoleucine. A variant may also have nonconservative changes, in which the substituted amino acid has physical properties different from those of the replaced amino acid, e.g., replacement of a glycine with a tryptophan. Analogous minor variations may also include amino acid deletions or insertions, or both. Preferably, amino acid variants retain certain structural or functional characteristics of a particular polypeptide. Guidance in determining which amino acid residues may be substituted, inserted, or deleted may be found, for example, using computer programs well known in the art, such as LASERGENE software (DNASTAR Inc., Madison, Wis.).

[0137] A polynucleotide variant is a variant of a particular polynucleotide sequence that preferably has at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 90%, and most preferably at least about 95% polynucleotide sequence similarity to the particular polynucleotide sequence. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that as a result of the degeneracy of the genetic code, a multitude of variant polynucleotide sequences encoding a particular protein, some bearing minimal homology to the polynucleotide sequences of any known and naturally occurring gene, may be produced. Thus, the invention contemplates each and every possible variation of polynucleotide sequence that could be made by selecting combinations based on possible codon choices. These combinations are made in accordance with the standard codon triplet genetic code, and all such variations are to be considered as being specifically disclosed.

[0138] Invention

[0139] The present invention provides for the production of recombinant animal collagens and gelatins. These animal collagens and gelatins provide advantages over currently available materials in that they are produced as well-characterized and pure proteins. Methods for producing these animal collagens and gelatins are also provided. In certain embodiments, the present invention provides animal collagens and gelatins derived from bovine type I collagen, bovine type III collagen, porcine type I collagen, and porcine type III collagen. In specific embodiments, bovine α1(I), bovine α1(III), porcine α1(I), porcine α2(I), and porcine α1(III) collagens and gelatins are provided.

[0140] The present invention provides for production of relatively large amounts of single types of animal collagen, synthesized in recombinant cell culture systems that do not make any other collagen types. For example, the present invention provides animal collagen type I that is substantially free from any other collagen type. Using methods of the present invention, purification of collagen is greatly facilitated.

[0141] The present invention is further directed to vectors and plasmids used in the methods of the invention. These vectors and/or plasmids are comprised of a polynucleotide encoding the desired collagen, or fragments or variants thereof, necessary promoters, and other sequences necessary for the proper expression of such polypeptides. The polynucleotide encoding a collagen is preferably obtained from animal sources. Animal sources include non-human mammalian sources, such as bovine, ovine, and porcine sources. In one embodiment, the vectors and plasmids of the present invention further include at least one polynucleotide encoding one or more post-translational enzymes or functional equivalents thereof. The polynucleotide encoding one or more post-translational enzymes may be derived from any of the above-mentioned species. In a preferred embodiment, the collagen-encoding polynucleotide is derived from the same species as the polynucleotide encoding the post-translational enzyme.

[0142] In a further embodiment, at least one polynucleotide encoding a post-translational enzyme, such as prolyl 4-hydroxylase, C-proteinase, N-proteinase, lysyl oxidase, or lysyl hydroxylase, is inserted into cells that do not naturally produce post-translational enzymes, such as yeast cells, or may not naturally produce sufficient amounts of post-translational enzymes, such as some mammalian and insect cells. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the post-translational enzyme is prolyl 4-hydroxylase, wherein the polynucleotides encoding an α subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase and the polynucleotides encoding a β subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase are inserted into a cell to produce a biologically active prolyl 4-hydroxylase enzyme.

[0143] The present invention specifically contemplates the use of any compound, biological or chemical, that confers hydroxylation, e.g., proline hydroxylation and/or lysine hydroxylation, etc., as desired, to the present recombinant animal collagens and gelatins. This includes, for example, prolyl 4-hydroxylase from any species, endogenously or exogenously supplied, including various isoforms of prolyl 4-hydroxylase and any variants or fragments or subunits of prolyl 4-hydroxylase having the desired activity, whether native, synthetic, or semi-synthetic, and other hydroxylases such as prolyl 3-hydroxylase, etc. (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,922), incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.) In one embodiment, the prolyl hydroxylase activity is conferred by a prolyl hydroxylase derived from the same species as the polynucleotide encoding recombinant collagen or gelatin, or encoding a polypeptide from which recombinant gelatin can be derived. In a further embodiment, the prolyl 4-hydroxylase is from an animal and the encoding polynucleotide is derived from sequence from the same animal.

[0144] The present invention provides a method for producing recombinant animal collagens and gelatins. It is to be noted that while, for clarity, the present methods of production are directed generally to the production of collagens, the production methods can be applied to the production of gelatins directly from altered collagen constructs, and the production of polypeptides from which gelatins can be derived. In one embodiment, the method comprises introducing into a host cell, under conditions suitable for expression, an expression vector encoding an animal collagen or procollagen, or fragments or variants thereof, and a second expression vector encoding a post-translational enzyme, and isolating the collagen. In a preferred embodiment, the post translational enzyme is prolyl hydroxylase. (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,859,.incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.)

[0145] The present invention further provides animal collagens comprising at least one animal collagen chain or subunit, or fragment or variants thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the collagen composition of the present invention comprises a collagen chain, or fragment or variant thereof, that is comprised of a structural amino acid pattern of (Gly-X-Y)_(n), wherein X and Y can be any amino acid. Preferably, the amino acids of X and/or Y are either proline or hydyroxyproline; glycine (Gly) is in every third residue position of each chain; and the number of repeating Gly-X-Y triplets is of about 10-3000 (i.e., n=10-3000). The Gly-X-Y unit within a collagen chain, or subunit or fragment thereof, is the same or different. In one aspect, the collagen compositions of the present invention are less than fully glycosolated or less than fully hydroxylated. For example, the collagen of the present invention may be deglycosolated, unglycosolated, partially glycosolated, and partially hydroxylated. In a further aspect of the present invention, the collagen compositions are comprised of one type of collagen, and are substantially free from any other type of collagen. In one embodiment, the present invention provides, a recombinant collagen type I composition substantially free from any other collagen, e.g., of types II through XX, etc.

[0146] The invention further comprises recombinant polypeptides, including fusion products produced from chimeric genes wherein, for example, relevant epitopes of collagen can be manufactured for therapeutic and other uses. Furthermore, the present invention encompasses any modifications made to the collagens or gelatins or compositions thereof or any degradation products thereof. Such modifications include, for example, processing of animal collagens or collagenous proteins and gelatin.

[0147] The present invention further provides gelatin compositions. Specifically, the present invention provides gelatin compositions derived from animal collagens. In various embodiments, the gelatin composition is derived from bovine, porcine, or piscine collagen. In another aspect of the present invention, the composition is composed of a gelatin derived from a collagen type substantially free from any other collagen type. In a further aspect of the present invention, the gelatin composition is comprised of denatured triple helices, and includes at least one collagen subunit or chain, or fragment or variant thereof.

[0148] The present invention further provides methods of producing a gelatin by expressing collagen or functional equivalents thereof, and deriving gelatin therefrom. The present invention further provides for direct expression of recombinant animal gelatin from an altered animal collagen construct. (See, e.g., commonly owned, co-pending application U.S. application Ser. No. 09/710,239, entitled “Recombinant Gelatins,” filed Nov. 10, 2000, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.) More specifically, the process involves inserting into a cell an expression vector comprising at least one polynucleotide encoding an animal collagen, or fragments or variants thereof, and an expression vector comprising at least one polynucleotide encoding a collagen post-translational enzyme or subunit thereof, recovering the collagen, and deriving gelatin from the collagen.

[0149] In some embodiments of the present invention, the gelatin compositions may be obtained directly from the isolated collagen or from biomass or culture media. Methods, processes, and techniques of producing gelatin compositions from collagen include denaturing the triple helical structure of the collagen utilizing detergents, heat or denaturing agents. Additionally, these methods, processes, and techniques include, but are not limited to, treatments with strong alkali or strong acids, heat extraction in aqueous solution, ion exchange chromatography, cross-flow filtration and heat drying, and other methods known in the art that may be applied to collagen to produce the gelatin compositions. The same methods, processes, and techniques may be applied to biomass or culture media to produce the gelatin compositions of the present invention.

[0150] The present invention further relates to various animal collagens. In one aspect, the present invention provides a bovine type I collagen and a bovine type III collagen. In specific embodiments, a bovine α1(I) collagen and a bovine α1(III) collagen and fragments and variants thereof are provided.

[0151] In another aspect, the present invention provides porcine type I and porcine type III collagens. In addition, the present invention provides a porcine α1(I) collagen, a porcine α2(I) collagen, and a porcine α1(III) collagen, and fragments and variants thereof.

[0152] The present invention also provides polynucleotides encoding bovine α1(I) collagen, bovine α1(III) collagen, porcine α1(I) collagen, or a porcine α1(III) collagen, or porcine α2(I) collagen, or fragments or variants thereof. The invention further provides polynucleotides complementary to the encoding polynucleotides, as well as polynucleotides that hybridize, under stringent conditions, to these nucleic acid sequences. The present invention also provides methods of producing recombinant bovine type I collagens, bovine type III collagens, porcine type I collagens, or porcine type III collagens or fragments or variants thereof.

[0153] In another aspect of the present invention, the expression vectors comprising the polynucleotides of the present invention may be inserted into host cells to produce animal collagens or gelatins, for example, bovine type I, bovine type III, porcine type I, and porcine type III collagens or gelatins. In one method, an expression vector comprising a polynucleotide of the present invention is co-expressed in host cells with an expression vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide of the present invention with an expression vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding a post-translational enzyme. In one embodiment, the post-translational enzyme is prolyl 4-hydroxylase, comprising an a subunit and a β subunit.

[0154] The recombinant animal collagens and gelatins of the present invention limit human exposure to various contaminants that may be present in animal tissues currently used as raw material in the manufacture of collagens and collagen-derived materials such as gelatin. Moreover, the collagens and gelatins of the present invention are more reproducible than collagens or gelatins currently obtained from raw animal sources.

[0155] In accordance with the invention, encoding polynucleotide sequences, as well as being well-characterized proteins with predictable performance may be used to generate recombinant molecules that direct the expression of the present polypeptides in appropriate host cells.

[0156] Nucleic acid sequences encoding collagens have been generally described in the art. (See, e.g., Fuller and Boedtker (1981) Biochemistry 20:996-1006; Sandell et al. (1984) J Biol Chem. 259:7826-34; Kohno et al. (1984) J Biol Chem. 259:13668-13673; French et al. (1985) Gene 39:311-312; Metsaranta et al. (1991) J Biol Chem. 266:16862-16869; Metsaranta et al, (1991) Biochim Biophys Acta 1089:241-243; Wood et al. (1987) Gene 61:225-230; Glumoff et al. (1994) Biochim Biophys Acta 1217:41-48; Shirai et al. (1998) Matrix Biology 17:85-88; Tromp et al. (1988) Biochem J. 253:919-912; Kuivaniemi et al. (1988) Biochem J. 252:633-640; and Ala-Kokko et al. (1989) Biochem J. 260:509-516.)

[0157] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a polynucleotide sequence comprising an isolated and purified polynucleotide sequence having greater than 70% similarity to the bovine α1(I) collagen polynucleotide sequence present in SEQ ID NO:1, or fragments or variants thereof, preferably greater than 80% similarity, and more preferably greater than 90% similarity. In a further embodiment, the polynucleotide sequence encodes the bovine α1(I) collagen amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, or fragments or variants thereof.

[0158] In another embodiment, the polynucleotide sequence of the present invention comprises an isolated and purified polynucleotide sequence having greater than 70% similarity to the bovine α1(III) collagen polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:3 or of SEQ ID NO:5, or fragments or variants thereof, preferably greater than 80% similarity, and more preferably greater than 90% similarity. In one embodiment, the polynucleotide sequence encodes the bovine α1(III) sequence of SEQ ID NO:4 or of SEQ ID NO:6; or fragments or variants thereof.

[0159] In one aspect, the present invention provides an isolated and purified polynucleotide sequence comprising a polynucleotide having greater than 70% similarity to the porcine α1(I) collagen polynucleotide sequence present in SEQ ID NO:7, or fragments or variants thereof, preferably greater than 80% similarity, and more preferably greater than 90% similarity. In one embodiment, the polynucleotide encodes the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:8, or fragments or variants thereof.

[0160] In another aspect, the present invention contemplates an isolated and purified polynucleotide sequence comprising a sequence with greater than 70% similarity to the porcine α2(I) collagen polynucleotide sequence present in SEQ ID NO:9, or fragments or variants thereof, preferably greater than 80% similarity, and more preferably greater than 90% similarity. In one embodiment, the polynucleotide sequence encodes the porcine α2(I) amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:10, or fragments or variants thereof.

[0161] In a further aspect, the present invention relates to an isolated and purified polynucleotide sequence having greater than 70% similarity to the porcine α1(III) collagen polynucleotide sequence present in SEQ ID NO:11, or fragments or variants thereof, preferably greater than 80% similarity, or more preferably greater than 90% similarity. In another preferred embodiment, the polynucleotide encodes the porcine α1(III) collagen amino acid sequence present in SEQ ID NO:12, or fragments or variants thereof.

[0162] Collagens from which nucleic acid sequence is not available may be obtained, by various methods known in the art, from cDNA libraries prepared from tissues believed to possess the type of collagen of interest and to express that collagen at a detectable level. For example, a cDNA library could be constructed by obtaining polyadenylated mRNA from a cell line known to express the novel collagen, or a cDNA library previously made to the tissue/cell type could be used. The cDNA library is screened with appropriate nucleic acid probes, and/or the library is screened with suitable polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognize other collagens. Appropriate nucleic acid probes include oligonucleotide probes that encode known portions of the novel collagen from the same or different species. Other suitable probes include, without limitation, oligonucleotides, cDNAs, or fragments thereof that encode the same or similar gene, and/or homologous genomic DNAs or fragments thereof. Screening the cDNA or genomic library with the selected probe may be accomplished using standard procedures known to those in the art. (See, e.g., Maniatis et al., supra.). Other means for identifying novel collagens involve known techniques of recombinant DNA technology, such as by direct expression cloning or using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,195, or in, e.g., Maniatis et al., supra, or Ausubel et al., supra.

[0163] Altered polynucleotide sequences which may be used in accordance with the invention include deletions, additions, or substitutions of different nucleotide residues resulting in a sequence that encodes the same or a functionally equivalent gene product. The gene product itself may contain deletions, additions, or substitutions of amino acid residues still resulting in a functionally equivalent polypeptide.

[0164] The nucleic acid sequences of the invention may be engineered in order to alter the coding sequence for a variety of ends including, but not limited to, alterations which modify processing and expression of the gene product. For example, alternative secretory signals may be substituted for the native secretory signal and/or mutations may be introduced using techniques which are well known in the art, e.g., site-directed mutagenesis, to insert new restriction sites, to alter glycosylation patterns, phosphorylation, etc. In one embodiment, the polynucleotides of the present invention are modified in the silent position of any triplet amino acid codon so as to better conform to the codon preference of the particular host organism.

[0165] The polynucleotides of the present invention are further directed to sequences which encode variants and fragments of the described animal collagens and gelatins. These amino acid fragments and variants may be prepared by various methods known in the art for introducing appropriate nucleotide and amino acid changes. Two important variables in the construction of amino acid variants are the location of the mutation and the nature of the mutation. The amino acid variants of collagen are preferably constructed by mutating the polynucleotide to give an amino acid sequence that does not occur in nature. These amino acid alterations can be made at sites that differ in collagens from different species (variable positions) or in highly conserved regions (constant regions). Sites at such locations will typically be modified serially, e.g., by substituting first with conservative choices (e.g., hydrophobic amino acid to a different hydrophobic amino acid), and then with more distant choices (e.g., hydrophobic amino acid to a charged amino acid), and then deletions or insertions may be made at the target site.

[0166] Amino acids are divided into groups based on the properties of their side chains (polarity, charge, solubility, hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, and/or the amphipatic nature): (1) hydrophobic (Leu, Met, Ala, Ile), (2) neutral hydrophobic (Cys, Ser, Thr), (3) acidic (Asp, Glu), (4) weakly basic (Asn, Gln, His), (5) strongly basic (Lys, Arg), (6) residues that influence chain orientation (Gly, Pro), and (7) aromatic (Trp, Tyr, Phe). Conservative changes encompass variants of an amino acid position that are within the same group as the “native” amino acid. Moderately conservative changes encompass variants of an amino acid position that are in a group that is closely related to the “native” amino acid (e.g., neutral hydrophobic to weakly basic). Non-conservative changes encompass variants of an amino acid position that are in a group that is distantly related to the “native” amino acid (e.g., hydrophobic to strongly basic or acidic).

[0167] Amino acid sequence deletions generally range from about 1 to 30 residues, preferably from about 1 to 10 residues, and are typically contiguous. Amino acid insertions include amino- and/or carboxyl-terminal fusions ranging in length from one to one hundred or more residues, as well as intrasequence insertions of single or multiple amino acid residues. Intrasequence insertions may range generally from about 1 to 10 amino residues, preferably from 1 to 5 residues. Examples of terminal insertions include the heterologous signal sequences necessary for secretion or for intracellular targeting in different host cells.

[0168] In another embodiment of the invention, a polynucleotide of the present invention may be ligated to a heterologous sequence to encode a fusion protein. For example, a fusion protein may be engineered to contain a cleavage site located between an α1(I) bovine collagen sequence of the present invention and the heterologous protein sequence, so that the α1(I) collagen may be cleaved away from the heterologous moiety.

[0169] Polynucleotide variants can also be generated according to methods well-known in the art. In one method of the present invention, polynucleotides are changed via site-directed mutagenesis. This method uses oligonucleotide sequences that encode the polynucleotide sequence of the desired amino acid variant, as well as a sufficient adjacent nucleotide on both sides of the changed amino acid to form a stable duplex on either side of the site of being changed. In general, the techniques of site-directed mutagenesis are well known to those of skill in the art and this technique is exemplified by publications such as, for example, Edelman et al. (1983) DNA 2:183. A versatile and efficient method for producing site-specific changes in a polynucleotide sequence is described in, e.g., by Zoller and Smith (1982) Nucleic Acids Res. 10:6487-6500.

[0170] As known in the art, nucleic acid mutations do not necessarily alter the amino acid sequence encoded by a polynucleotide sequence while providing unique restriction sites useful for manipulation of the molecule. Thus, the modified molecule can be made up of a number of discrete regions, or D-regions, flanked by unique restriction sites. These discrete regions of the molecule are herein referred to as cassettes. Molecules formed of multiple copies of a cassette are encompassed by the present invention. Recombinant or mutant nucleic acid molecules or cassettes, which provide desired characteristics, such as resistance to endogenous enzymes such as collagenase, are also encompassed by the present invention. (See, e.g., Maniatis et al., supra; and Ausubel et al., supra.)

[0171] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, as a result of the degeneracy of the genetic code, a multitude of polynucleotide sequences encoding the polypeptides of the present invention, or functional equivalents thereof, some bearing minimal homology to the nucleotide sequences of any known and naturally occurring gene, may be produced. Thus, the invention contemplates each and every possible variation of nucleotide sequence that could be made by selecting combinations based on possible codon choices. These combinations are made in accordance with the standard triplet genetic code.

[0172] The invention also encompasses production of polynucleotide sequences, or fragments thereof, encoding the polypeptides of the present invention or functional equivalents thereof, entirely by synthetic chemistry. After production, the synthetic sequence may be inserted into any of the many available expression vectors and cell systems using reagents that are well known in the art. Moreover, synthetic chemistry may be used to introduce mutations into a polynucleotide sequence encoding a collagen or functional equivalents thereof.

[0173] PCR may also be used to create variants of the present invention. When small amounts of template nucleic acid are used as starting material, primer(s) that differs slightly in sequence from the corresponding region in the template nucleic acid can generate the desired amino acid variant. PCR amplification results in a population of product polynucleotide fragments that differ from the polynucleotide template encoding the collagen at the position specified by the primer. The product fragments replace the corresponding region in the plasmid, creating the desired nucleic acid or amino acid variant.

[0174] Due to the inherent degeneracy of the genetic code, other polynucleotide sequences which encode substantially the same or functionally equivalent polypeptide sequences are encompassed by the present invention, and all degeneration variants and codon-optimized sequences are specifically contemplated. Encoding polynucleotide sequences that are natural, synthetic, semi-synthetic, or recombinant may be used in the practice of the claimed invention. Such polynucleotide sequences include those capable of hybridizing to the appropriate polynucleotide sequence under stringent conditions.

[0175] As naturally produced, collagens are structural proteins comprised of one or more collagen subunits which together form at least one triple-helical domain. A variety of enzymes are utilized in order to transform the collagen subunits into procollagen or other precursor molecules, and then into mature collagen. Such enzymes include, for example, prolyl-4-hydroxylase, C-proteinase, N-proteinase, lysyl oxidase, lysyl hydroxylase, etc.

[0176] Prolyl 4-hydroxylase is a α₂β₂ tetramer, and plays a central role in the biosynthesis of all collagens, 4-hydroxyproline residues stabilize the folding of the newly synthesized polypeptide chains into stable triple-helical molecules. (See, e.g., Prockop et al. (1995) Annu. Rev. Biochem. 64:403-434; Kivirikko et al. (1992) “Post-Translational Modifications of Proteins,” pp. 1-51; and Kivirikko et al. (1989) FASEB J. 3:1609-1617.) Additionally, the level of expression of type III collagen was lower in the absence of recombinant prolyl 4-hydroxylase than in its presence. Human isoforms of prolyl 4-hydroxylase have been cloned and characterized. (See, e.g., Helaakoski et al. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 92:4427-4431; U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,922.)

[0177] Lysyl hydroxylase, an α2 homodimer, catalyzes the post-translational modification of collagen to form hydroxylysine in collagens. See generally, Kivirikko et al. (1992) Post-Translational Modifications of Proteins, Harding, J. J., and Crabbe, M. J. C., eds., CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.; and Kivirikko (1995) Principles of Medical Biology, Vol. 3 Cellular Organelles and the Extracellular Matrix, Bittar, E. E., and Bittar, N., eds., JAI Press, Greenwich, Great Britain. Isoforms of lysyl hydroxylase have been cloned and identified. (See, e.g. Passoja et al. (1998) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 95(18):10482-10486; and Valtavaara et al. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272(11):6831-6834.)

[0178] C-proteinase processes the assembled procollagen by cleaving off the C-terminal ends of the procollagens that assist in assembly of, but are not part of, the triple helix of the collagen molecule. (See, e.g., Kadler et al. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262:15969-15701; and Kadler et al. (1990) Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 580:214-224.)

[0179] N-proteinase processes the assembled procollagen by cleaving off the N-terminal ends of the procollagens that assist in the assembly of, but are not part of, the collagen triple helix. (See, e.g., Hojima et al. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269:11381-11390.)

[0180] Lysyl oxidase is an extracellular copper enzyme that catalyzes the oxidative deamination of the α-amino group in certain lysine and hydroxylysine residues to form a reactive aldehyde. These aldehydes then undergo an aldol condensation to form aldols, which cross links collagen fibrils. Information on the DNA and protein sequence of lysyl oxidase can found, for example, in Kivirikko (1995), supra; Kagan (1994) Path. Res. Pract. 190: 910-919; Kenyon et al. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268(25):18435-18437; Wu et al. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267(34):24199-24206; Mariani et al. (1992) Matrix 12(3):242-248; and Hamalainen et al. (1991) Genomics 11(3):508-516.

[0181] The nucleic acid sequences encoding a number of these post-translational enzymes have been reported. (See, e.g., Vuori et al. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:7467-7470; and Kessler et al. (1996) Science 271:360-362. The nucleic acid sequences encoding various post-translational enzymes may also be determined according to the methods generally described above and include use of appropriate probes and nucleic acid libraries.

[0182] The recombinant animal gelatins of the present invention may be derived from animal collagens using a variety of procedures known in the art. (See, e.g., Veis, A. (1965) International Review of Connective Tissue Research, 3:113-200.) For example, a common feature of current processes is the denaturation of the secondary structure of the collagen protein, and in the majority of instances, an alteration in either the primary or tertiary structure of the collagen. Thus, the animal collagens of the present invention can be processed using different procedures depending on the type of gelatin desired.

[0183] Recombinant animal gelatins of the present invention can be derived from recombinantly produced collagen or procollagens or other collagenous polypeptides by a variety of methods known in the art. For example, gelatin may be derived directly from cell mass or culture media by taking advantage of gelatin's solubility at elevated temperatures and its stability conditions of low or high pH, low or high salt concentration and high temperatures. Methods, processes, and techniques of producing gelatin compositions from collagen include denaturing the triple helical structure of the collagen utilizing detergents, heat, or various denaturing agents well known in the art. In addition, various steps involved in the extraction of gelatin from animal or slaughterhouse sources, including treatment with lime or acids, heat extraction in aqueous solution, ion exchange chromatography, cross-flow filtration and various methods of drying can be used to derive the gelatin of the present invention from recombinant collagen.

[0184] Expression

[0185] The present methods of producing animal collagens and gelatins can be applied in a variety of recombinant systems available to those in the art. A number of these recombinant systems are described herein, although it is to be understood that application of the present methods is not to be limited to the systems illustrated for example below.

[0186] In order to express the recombinant animal collagens and gelatins of the present invention, or polypeptides from which the recombinant gelatins can be derived, the encoding polynucleotide is inserted into an appropriate expression vector, i.e., a vector which contains the necessary elements for the transcription and translation of the inserted coding sequence, or in the case of an RNA viral vector, the necessary elements for replication and translation.

[0187] Methods which are well known to those skilled in the art can be used to construct expression vectors containing the polynucleotides of the invention and appropriate transcriptional/translational control signals. These methods include standard DNA cloning techniques, e.g., in vitro recombinant techniques, synthetic techniques and in vivo recombination/genetic recombination. (See, for example, the techniques described in Maniatis et al., supra; and Ausubel et al., supra.)

[0188] The expression elements of different systems vary in their strength and specificities. Depending on the host/vector system utilized, any of a number of suitable transcription and translation elements, including constitutive and inducible promoters, may be used in the expression vector. For example, when cloning in bacterial systems, inducible promoters such as pL of bacteriophage γ plac, ptrp, ptac (ptrp-lac hybrid promoter) and the like may be used; when cloning in insect cell systems, promoters such as the baculovirus polyhedron promoter may be used; when cloning in plant cell systems, promoters derived from the genome of plant cells (e.g., heat shock promoters; the promoter for the small subunit of RUBISCO; the promoter for the chlorophyll a/b binding protein) or from plant viruses (e.g., the 35S RNA promoter of CaMV; the coat protein promoter of TMV) may be used; when cloning in mammalian cell systems, promoters derived from the genome of mammalian cells (e.g., metallothionein promoter) or from mammalian viruses (e.g., the adenovirus late promoter; the vaccinia virus 7.5 K promoter) may be used; when generating cell lines that contain multiple copies of a collagen DNA, SV40-, BPV- and EBV-based vectors may be used with an appropriate selectable marker.

[0189] Specific initiation signals may also be required for efficient translation of inserted sequences. These signals include the ATG initiation codon and adjacent sequences. In cases where the entire collagen gene, including its own initiation codon and adjacent sequences, is inserted into the appropriate expression vector, no additional translational control signals may be needed. However, in cases where only a portion of a collagen coding sequence is inserted, exogenous translational control signals, including the ATG initiation codon, must be provided. Furthermore, the initiation codon must be in phase with the reading frame of the collagen coding sequence to ensure translation of the entire insert. These exogenous translational control signals and initiation codons can be of a variety of origins, both natural and synthetic. The efficiency of expression may be enhanced by the inclusion of appropriate transcription enhancer elements, transcription terminators, etc. (See, e.g., Bittner et al. (1987) Methods in Enzymol. 153:516-544).

[0190] The polypeptides of the invention may be expressed as secreted proteins. When the engineered cells used for expression of the proteins are non-human host cells, it is often advantageous to replace the secretory signal peptide of the collagen protein with an alternative secretory signal peptide which is more efficiently recognized by the host cell's secretory targeting machinery. The appropriate secretory signal sequence is particularly important in obtaining optimal fungal expression of mammalian genes. For example, see, e.g., Brake et al. (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81:4642. Other signal sequences for prokaryotic, yeast, fungi, insect or mammalian cells are well known in the art, and one of ordinary skill could easily select a signal sequence appropriate for the host cell of choice.

[0191] The vectors of this invention may autonomously replicate in the host cell, or may integrate into the host chromosome. Suitable vectors with autonomously replicating sequences are well known for a variety of bacteria, yeast, and various viral replications sequences for both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Vectors may integrate into the host cell genome when they have a nucleic acid sequence homologous to a sequence found in the genomic DNA of the host cell.

[0192] In one embodiment, the expression vectors of the present invention comprise a selectable marker, which encodes a product necessary for the host cell to grow and survive under certain conditions. Typical selection genes include genes encoding proteins that confer resistance to an antibiotic or other toxin (e.g., tetracycline, ampicillin, neomycin, methotrexate, etc.), proteins that complement an auxotrophic requirement of the host cell, etc. Other examples of selection genes include the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (Wigler et al. (1977) Cell 11:223), hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (Szybalska et al. (1962) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 48:2026), and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (Lowy et al. (1980) Cell 22:817) genes, which can be employed in tk⁻, hgprt⁻; or aprt⁻ cells, respectively.

[0193] Antimetabolite resistance can be used as the basis of selection, such as with the use of dhfr which confers resistance to methotrexate; gpt, which confers resistance to mycophenolic acid; neo, which confers resistance to the aminoglycoside G-418; and hygro, which confers resistance to hygromycin. (See, e.g., Wigler et al. (1980) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77:3567; O'Hare et al. (1981) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78:1527; Mulligan et al. (1981) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78:2072; Colberre-Garapin et al. (1981) J. Mol. Biol. 150:1; and Santerre et al. (1984) Gene 30:147.) Additional selectable genes include trpB, which allows cells to utilize indole in place of tryptophan; hisD, which allows cells to utilize histinol in place of histidine; and odc (ornithine decarboxylase) which confers resistance to the ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor, 2-(difluoromethyl)-DL-ornithine, DFMO. (See, e.g., Hartman et al. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85:8047 and McConlogue L., In: Current Communications in Molecular Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Ed. (1987)).

[0194] Elements necessary for the expression vectors of the invention include sequences for initiating transcription, e.g., promoters and enhancers. Promoters are untranslated sequences located upstream from the start codon of the structural gene that control the transcription of the nucleic acid under its control. Inducible promoters are promoters that alter their level of transcription initiation in response to a change in culture conditions, e.g., the presence or absence of a nutrient. One of skill in the art would know of a large number of promoters that would be recognized in host cells suitable for the present invention. These promoters are operably linked to the DNA encoding the collagen by removing the promoter from its native gene and placing the collagen encoding DNA 3′ of the promoter sequence.

[0195] Promoters useful in the present invention include, but are not limited to, the lactose promoter, the alkaline phosphatase promoter, the tryptophan promoter, hybrid promoters such as the tac promoter, promoter for 3-phosphoglycerate kinase, other glycolytic enzyme promoters (hexokinase, pyruvate decarboxylase, phophofructosekinase, glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, etc.), the promoter for alcohol dehydrogenase, the metallothionein promoter, the maltose promoter, the galactose promoter, promoters from the viruses polyoma, fowlpox, adenovirus, bovine papilloma virus, avian sarcoma virus, cytomegalovirus, retroviruses, SV40, and promoters from target eukaryotes including the glucoamylase promoter from Aspergillus, the actin promoter or an immunoglobin promoter from a mammal, and native collagen promoters. (See, e.g., de Boer et al. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80:21-25; Hitzeman et al. (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255:2073; Fiers et al. (1978) Nature 273:113; Mulligan and Berg (1980) Science 209:1422-1427; Pavlakis et al. (1981) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78:7398-7402; Greenway et al. (1982) Gene 18:355-360; Gray et al. (1982) Nature 295:503-508; Reyes et al. (1982) Nature 297:598-601; Canaani and Berg (1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79:5166-5170; Gorman et al. (1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79:6777-6781; and Nunberg et al. (1984) Mol. and Cell. Biol. 11(4):2306-2315.)

[0196] Transcription of the coding sequence from the promoter is often increased by inserting an enhancer sequence in the vector. Enhancers are cis-acting elements, usually about from 10 to 300 bp, that act to increase the rate of transcription initiation at a promoter. Many enhancers are known for both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, and one of ordinary skill could select an appropriate enhancer for the host cell of interest. (See, e.g., Yaniv (1982) Nature 297:17-18.)

[0197] In addition, a host cell strain may be chosen which modulates the expression of the inserted sequences, or modifies and processes the gene product in the specific fashion desired. Such modifications (e.g., glycosylation) and processing (e.g., cleavage) of protein products may be important for the function of the protein. Different host cells have characteristic and specific mechanisms for the post-translational processing and modification of proteins. Appropriate cells lines or host systems can be chosen to ensure the correct modification and processing of the foreign protein expressed. To this end, eukaryotic host cells which possess the cellular machinery for proper processing of the primary transcript, glycosylation, and phosphorylation of the gene product may be used. Such mammalian host cells include, but are not limited to, CHO, VERO, BHK, HeLa, COS, MDCK, 293, WI38, etc. Additionally, host cells may be engineered to express various enzymes to ensure the proper processing of the encoded polypeptide. For example, the gene for prolyl 4-hydroxylase may be co-expressed with a polynucleotide encoding a collagen or fragments or variants thereof to achieve proper hydroxylation.

[0198] For long-term, high-yield production of recombinant proteins, stable expression is preferred. For example, cell lines which stably express the collagens of the invention may be engineered. Rather than using expression vectors which contain viral origins of replication, host cells can be transformed with collagen encoding DNA controlled by appropriate expression control elements (e.g., promoter, enhancer, sequences, transcription terminators, polyadenylation sites, etc.), and a selectable marker. Following the introduction of foreign DNA, engineered cells may be allowed to grow for 1-2 days in an enriched media, and then are switched to a selective media. The selectable marker in the recombinant plasmid confers resistance to the selection and allows cells to stably integrate the plasmid into their chromosomes and grow to form foci which in turn can be cloned and expanded into cell lines. Thus, the present methods may advantageously be used to engineer cell lines which express a desired animal collagen or fragments or variants thereof.

[0199] For example, expression of the present polypeptides driven by the galactose promoters can be induced by growing the culture on a non-repressing, non-inducing sugar so that very rapid induction follows addition of galactose; by growing the culture in glucose medium and then removing the glucose by centrifugation and washing the cells before resuspension in galactose medium; and by growing the cells in medium containing both glucose and galactose so that the glucose is preferentially metabolized before galactose-induction can occur.

[0200] The vectors expressing the polypeptides of the present invention, and the vectors expressing polynucleotides encoding any post-translational enzymes desired may be introduced into host cells to produce the encoded polypeptides, using techniques known to one of skill in the art. For example, host cells are transfected or infected or transformed with the above-described expression vectors, and cultured in nutrient media appropriate for selecting transductants or transformants containing the collagen encoding vector. Cell transfection can be carried out by a variety of methods available to those of skill in the art, such as, for example, by calcium phosphate precipitation, electroporation, and lipofection techniques. (See, e.g., Maniatis et al., supra, Ohta T. (1996) Nippon Rinsho 54(3):757-764; Trotter and Wood (1996) Mol Biotechnol 6(3):329-334; Mann and King (1989) J Gen Virol 70:3501-3505; and Hartig et al. (1991) Biotechniques 11(3):310.)

[0201] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method in which more than one of the expression vectors encoding for the polypeptides of the present invention are inserted into cells, so that, e.g., trimeric collagens can be synthesized. For example, in one method of producing animal collagen according to the present invention, cells may be co-infected, co-transfected, or co-transformed with a first vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding a porcine α1(I) collagen, a second vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding a porcine α2(I) collagen, and third and fourth vectors comprising polynucleotides encoding the α subunit and the β subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase under conditions suitable for expression of the polypeptides and a fully hydroxylated, heterotrimeric porcine collagen.

[0202] In another method of the present invention, production of homotrimeric collagen is contemplated. For example, in the production of bovine collagen type III, cells may be co-infected, co-transfected, or co-transformed with a first vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding a bovine α1(III) collagen, a second vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding an α subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase, and a third vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding a β subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase. Other animal collagens, including mammalian collagens such as porcine, ovine, and equine collagens, and non-mammalian animal collagens, such as chicken and piscine collagen, may be produced using the same or similar co-expression methods and techniques, and variations thereof within the level of skill in the art.

[0203] Host cells containing coding sequence and expressing the biologically active gene product may be identified by any number of techniques known in the art. Such techniques include, for example, detecting the formation of nucleic acid hybridization complexes, detecting the presence or absence of marker gene functions assessing the level of transcription as measured by the expression of mRNA transcripts in the host cell, and detecting gene product as measured by immunoassay or by biological activity.

[0204] In the first approach, the presence of the present polynucleotide can be detected by, for example, detection of DNA-DNA or DNA-RNA hybridization complexes, or by amplification using probes comprising nucleotide sequences homologous to the animal collagen coding sequence, or portions, or derivatives thereof. Amplification-based assays involve the use of oligonucleotides or oligomers based on sequences homologous to the coding sequence of interest to detect transformants containing the encoding polynucleotides.

[0205] In the second approach, the recombinant expression vector/host system is identified and selected based upon the presence or absence of certain marker gene functions (e.g., thymidine kinase activity, resistance to antibiotics, resistance to methotrexate, transformation phenotype, occlusion body formation in baculovirus, etc.). For example, if the coding sequence is inserted within a marker gene sequence of the vector, recombinant cells containing coding sequence can be identified by the absence of the marker gene function. Alternatively, a marker gene can be placed in tandem with the coding sequence under the control of the same or different promoter used to control the expression of the coding sequence. Expression of the marker in response to induction or selection indicates expression of the coding sequence.

[0206] In the third approach, transcriptional activity of the coding region can be assessed by hybridization assays. For example, RNA can be isolated and analyzed by northern blot using a probe homologous to the coding sequence or particular portions thereof. Alternatively, total nucleic acids of the host cell may be extracted and assayed for hybridization to such probes.

[0207] In the fourth approach, the expression of a protein product can be assessed immunologically, for example by Western blots, immunoassays such as radioimmuno-precipitation, enzyme-linked immunoassays, and the like.

[0208] In one embodiment, the animal collagens of the present invention are secreted into the culture medium, and can be purified to homogeneity by various methods known in the art, for example, by chromatography. In one embodiment, recombinant animal collagens of the present invention are purified by size exclusion chromatography. However, other purification techniques known in the art can also be used, including ion exchange chromatography, and reverse-phase chromatography. (See, e.g., Maniatis et al., supra, Ausubel et al., supra, and Scopes (1994) Protein Purification: Principles and Practice, Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., NY.)

[0209] The present methods can be used in, although are not limited in application to, the expression systems listed below.

[0210] Prokaryotic

[0211] In prokaryotic systems, such as bacterial systems, a number of expression vectors may be advantageously selected depending upon the use intended for the expressed polypeptide. For example, when large quantities of the animal collagens and gelatins of the invention are to be produced, such as for the generation of antibodies, vectors which direct the expression of high levels of fusion protein products that are readily purified may be desirable. Such vectors include, but are not limited to, the E. coli expression vector pUR278 (Ruther et al. (1983) EMBO J. 2:1791), in which the coding sequence may be ligated into the vector in frame with the lac Z coding region so that a hybrid AS-lac Z protein is produced; pIN vectors (Inouye et al. (1985) Nucleic Acids Res. 13:3101-3109 and Van Heeke et al. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264:5503-5509); and the like. pGEX vectors may also be used to express foreign polypeptides as fusion proteins with glutathione S-transferase (GST). In general, such fusion proteins are soluble and can easily be purified from lysed cells by adsorption to glutathione-agarose beads followed by elution in the presence of free glutathione. The pGEX vectors are designed to include thrombin or factor Xa protease cleavage sites so that the cloned polypeptide of interest can be released from the GST moiety.

[0212] Yeast

[0213] In one embodiment, the present polypeptides are produced in a yeast expression system. In yeast, a number of vectors containing constitutive or inducible promoters known in the art may be used. (See, e.g., Ausubel et al., supra, Vol. 2, Chapter 13; Grant et al. (1987) Expression and Secretion Vectors for Yeast, in Methods in Enzymology, Ed. Wu & Grossman, Acad. Press, N.Y. 153:516-544; Glover (1986) DNA Cloning, Vol. II, IRL Press, Wash., D.C., Ch. 3; Bitter (1987) Heterologous Gene Expression in Yeast, in Methods in Enzymology, Eds. Berger & Kimmel, Acad. Press, N.Y. 152:673-684; and The Molecular Biology of the Yeast Saccharomyces, Eds. Strathern et al., Cold Spring Harbor Press, Vols. I and II (1982).)

[0214] Polypeptides of the present invention can be expressed using host cells, for example, from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This particular yeast can be used with any of a large number of expression vectors. Commonly employed expression vectors are shuttle vectors containing the 2μ origin of replication for propagation in yeast and the Col E1 origin for E. coli, for efficient transcription of the foreign gene. A typical example of such vectors based on 2μ plasmids is pWYG4, which has the 2μ ORI-STB elements, the GAL1-10 promoter, and the 2 μl D gene terminator. In this vector, an Ncol cloning site is used to insert the gene for the polypeptide to be expressed, and to provide the ATG start codon. Another expression vector is pWYG7L, which has intact 2α ORI, STB, REP1 and REP2, and the GAL1-10 promoter, and uses the FLP terminator. In this vector, the encoding polynucleotide is inserted in the polylinker with its 5′ ends at a BamHI or Ncol site. The vector containing the inserted polynucleotide is transformed into S. cerevisiae either after removal of the cell wall to produce spheroplasts that take up DNA on treatment with calcium and polyethylene glycol or by treatment of intact cells with lithium ions.

[0215] Alternatively, DNA can be introduced by electroporation. Transformants can be selected, for example, using host yeast cells that are auxotrophic for leucine, tryptophane, uracil, or histidine together with selectable marker genes such as LEU2, TRP1, URA3, HIS3, or LEU2-D.

[0216] In one embodiment of the invention, the present polynucleotides are introduced into host cells from the yeast Pichia. Species of non-Saccharomyces yeast such as Pichia pastoris appear to have special advantages in producing high yields of recombinant protein in scaled up procedures. Additionally, a Pichia expression kit is available from Invitrogen Corporation (San Diego, Calif.).

[0217] There are a number of methanol responsive genes in methylotrophic yeasts such as Pichia pastoris, the expression of each being controlled by methanol responsive regulatory regions, also referred to as promoters. Any of such methanol responsive promoters are suitable for use in the practice of the present invention. Examples of specific regulatory regions include the AOX1 promoter, the AOX2 promoter, the dihydroxyacetone synthase (DAS), the P40 promoter, and the promoter for the catalase gene from P. pastoris, etc.

[0218] In other embodiments, the present invention contemplates the use of the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha. Growth on methanol results in the induction of key enzymes of the methanol metabolism, such as MOX (methanol oxidase), DAS (dihydroxyacetone synthase), and FMHD (formate dehydrogenase). These enzymes can constitute up to 30-40% of the total cell protein. The genes encoding MOX, DAS, and FMDH production are controlled by strong promoters induced by growth on methanol and repressed by growth on glucose. Any or all three of these promoters may be used to obtain high-level expression of heterologous genes in H. polymorpha. Therefore, in one aspect of the invention, a polynucleotide encoding animal collagen or fragments or variants thereof is cloned into an expression vector under the control of an inducible H. polymorpha promoter. If secretion of the product is desired, a polynucleotide encoding a signal sequence for secretion in yeast is fused in frame with the polynucleotide. In a further embodiment, the expression vector preferably contains an auxotrophic marker gene, such as URA3 or LEU2, which may be used to complement the deficiency of an auxotrophic host.

[0219] The expression vector is then used to transform H. polymorpha host cells using techniques known to those of skill in the art. A useful feature of H. polymorpha transformation is the spontaneous integration of up to 100 copies of the expression vector into the genome. In most cases, the integrated polynucleotide forms multimers exhibiting a head-to-tail arrangement. The integrated foreign polynucleotide has been shown to be mitotically stable in several recombinant strains, even under non-selective conditions. This phenomena of high copy integration further adds to the high productivity potential of the system.

[0220] Fungi

[0221] Filamentous fungi may also be used to produce the present polypeptides. Vectors for expressing and/or secreting recombinant proteins in filamentous fungi are well known, and one of skill in the art could use these vectors to express the recombinant animal collagens of the present invention.

[0222] Plant

[0223] In one aspect, the present invention contemplates the production of animal collagens and gelatins in plants and plant cells. In cases where plant expression vectors are used, the expression of sequences encoding the collagens of the invention may be driven by any of a number of promoters. For example, viral promoters such as the 35S RNA and 19S RNA promoters of CaMV (Brisson et al. (1984) Nature 310:511-514), or the coat protein promoter of TMV (Takamatsu et al. (1987) EMBO J. 6:307-311) may be used; alternatively, plant promoters such as the small subunit of RUBISCO (Coruzzi et al. (1984) EMBO J. 3:1671-1680; Broglie et al. (1984) Science 224:838-843) or heat shock promoters, e.g., soybean hsp17.5-E or hsp17.3-B (Gurley et al. (1986) Mol. Cell. Biol. 6:559-565) may be used. These constructs can be introduced into plant cells by a variety of methods known to those of skill in the art, such as by using Ti plasmids, Ri plasmids, plant virus vectors, direct DNA transformation, microinjection, electroporation, etc. For reviews of such techniques see, for example, Weissbach & Weissbach, Methods for Plant Molecular Biology, Academic Press, NY, Section VIII, pp. 421-463 (1988); Grierson & Corey, Plant Molecular Biology, 2d Ed., Blackie, London, Ch. 7-9 (1988); Transgenic Plants: A Production System for Industrial and Pharmaceutical Proteins, Owen and Pen eds., John Wiliey & Sons, 1996; Transgenic Plants, Galun and Breiman eds, Imperial College Press, 1997; and Applied Plant Biotechnology, Chopra, Malik, and Bhat eds., Science Publishers, Inc., 1999.

[0224] Plant cells do not naturally produce sufficient amounts of post-translational enzymes to efficiently produce stable collagen. Therefore, the present invention provides that, where hydroxylation is desired, plant cells used to express the present animal collagens are supplemented with the necessary post-translational enzymes to sufficiently produce stable collagen. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the post-translational enzyme is prolyl 4-hydroxylase.

[0225] Methods of producing the present animal collagens or gelatins in plant systems may be achieved by providing a biomass from plants or plant cells, wherein the plants or plant cells comprise at least one coding sequence is operably linked to a promoter to effect the expression of the polypeptide, and the polypeptide is then extracted from the biomass. Alternatively, the polypeptide can be non-extracted, i.e., expressed into the endosperm, etc.

[0226] Plant expression vectors and reporter genes are generally known in the art. (See, e.g., Gruber et al. (1993) in Methods of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, CRC Press.) Typically, the expression vector comprises a nucleic acid construct generated, for example, recombinantly or synthetically, and comprising a promoter that functions in a plant cell, wherein such promoter is operably linked to a nucleic acid sequence encoding an animal collagen or fragments or variants thereof, or a post-translational enzyme important to the biosynthesis of collagen.

[0227] Promoters drive the level of protein expression in plants. To produce a desired level of protein expression in plants, expression may be under the direction of a plant promoter. Promoters suitable for use in accordance with the present invention are generally available in the art. (See, e.g., PCT Publication No. WO 91/19806.) Examples of promoters that may be used in accordance with the present invention include non-constitutive promoters or constitutive promoters. These promoters include, but are not limited to, the promoter for the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bis-phosphate carboxylase; promoters from tumor-inducing plasmids of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, such as the RUBISCO nopaline synthase (NOS) and octopine synthase promoters; bacterial T-DNA promoters such as mas and ocs promoters; and viral promoters such as the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 19S and 35S promoters or the figwort mosaic virus 35S promoter.

[0228] The polynucleotide sequences of the present invention may be under the transcriptional control of a constitutive promoter, directing expression of the collagen or post-translational enzyme in most tissues of a plant. In one embodiment, the polynucleotide sequence is under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. The double-stranded caulimorvirus family has provided the single most important promoter expression for transgene expression in plants, in particular, the 35S promoter. (See, e.g., Kay et al. (1987) Science 236:1299.) Additional promoters from this family such as the figwort mosaic virus promoter, etc., have been described in the art, and may also be used in accordance with the present invention. (See, e.g., Sanger et al. (1990) Plant Mol. Biol. 14:433-443; Medberry et al. (1992) Plant Cell 4:195-192; and Yin and Beachy (1995) Plant J. 7:969-980.)

[0229] The promoters used in the polynucleotide constructs of the present invention may be modified, if desired, to affect their control characteristics. For example, the CaMV promoter may be ligated to the portion of the RUBISCO gene that represses the expression of RUBISCO in the absence of light, to create a promoter which is active in leaves, but not in roots. The resulting chimeric promoter may be used as described herein.

[0230] Constitutive plant promoters having general expression properties known in the art may be used with the expression vectors of the present invention. These promoters are abundantly expressed in most plant tissues and include, for example, the actin promoter and the ubiquitin promoter. (See, e.g., McElroy et al. (1990) Plant Cell 2:163-171; and Christensen et al. (1992) Plant Mol. Biol. 18:675-689.)

[0231] Alternatively, the polypeptide of the present invention may be expressed in a specific tissue, cell type, or under more precise environmental conditions or developmental control. Promoters directing expression in these instances are known as inducible promoters. In the case where a tissue-specific promoter is used, protein expression is particularly high in the tissue from which extraction of the protein is desired. Depending on the desired tissue, expression may be targeted to the endosperm, aleurone layer, embryo (or its parts as scutellum and cotyledons), pericarp, stem, leaves tubers, roots, etc. Examples of known tissue-specific promoters include the tuber-directed class I patatin promoter, the promoters associated with potato tuber ADPGPP genes, the soybean promoter of β-conglycinin (7S protein) which drives seed-directed transcription, and seed-directed promoters from the zein genes of maize endosperm. (See, e.g., Bevan et al. (1986) Nucleic Acids Res. 14: 4625-38; Muller et al. (1990) Mol. Gen. Genet. 224:136-46; Bray (1987) Planta 172:364-370; and Pedersen et al. (1982) Cell 29:1015-26.)

[0232] In a preferred embodiment, the present polypeptides are produced in seed by way of seed-based production techniques using, for example, canola, corn, soybeans, rice and barley seed. In such a process, for example, the product is recovered during seed germination. (See, e.g., PCT Publication Numbers WO 9940210; WO 9916890; WO 9907206; U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,121; U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,933; and all references cited therein.)

[0233] Promoters that may be used to direct the expression of the polypeptides may be heterologous or non-heterologous. These promoters can also be used to drive expression of antisense nucleic acids to reduce, increase, or alter concentration and composition of the present animal collagens in a desired tissue.

[0234] Other modifications that may be made to increase and/or maximize transcription of the present polypeptides in a plant or plant cell are standard and known to those in the art. For example a vector comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a recombinant animal collagen or gelatin, or a polypeptide from which the recombinant animal gelatin may be derived, or a fragment or variant thereof, operably linked to a promoter may further comprise at least one factor that modifies the transcription rate of collagen or related post-translational enzymes, including, but not limited to, peptide export signal sequence, codon usage, introns, polyadneylation, and transcription termination sites. Methods of modifying constructs to increase expression levels in plants are generally known in the art. (See, e.g. Rogers et al. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260:3731; and Cornejo et al. (1993) Plant Mol Biol 23:567-58.) In engineering a plant system that affects the rate of transcription of the present collagens and related post-translational enzymes, various factors known in the art, including regulatory sequences such as positively or negatively acting sequences, enhancers and silencers, as well as chromatin structure can affect the rate of transcription in plants. The present invention provides that at least one of these factors may be utilized in expressing the recombinant animal collagens and gelatins described herein.

[0235] The vectors comprising the present polynucleotides will typically comprise a marker gene which confers a selectable phenotype on plant cells. Usually, the selectable marker gene will encode antibiotic resistance, with suitable genes including at least one set of genes coding for resistance to the antibiotic spectinomycin, the streptomycin phophotransferase (SPT) gene coding for streptomycin resistance, the neomycin phophotransferase (NPTH) gene encoding kanamycin or geneticin resistance, the hygromycin resistance, genes coding for resistance to herbicides which act to inhibit the action of acetolactate synthase (ALS), in particular, the sulfonylurea-type herbicides (e.g., the acetolactate synthase (ALS) gene containing mutations leading to such resistance in particular the S4 and/or Hra mutations), genes coding for resistance to herbicides which act to inhibit action of glutamine synthase, such as phophinothricin or basta (e.g. the bar gene), or other similar genes known in the art. The bar gene encodes resistance to the herbicide basta, the nptII gene encodes resistance to the antibiotics kanamycin and geneticin, and the ALS gene encodes resistance to the herbicide chlorsulfuron.

[0236] Typical vectors useful for expression of foreign genes in plants are well known in the art, including, but not limited to, vectors derived from the tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. These vectors are plant integrating vectors, that upon transformation, integrate a portion of the DNA into the genome of the host plant. (See, e.g., Rogers et al. (1987) Meth. In Enzymol. 153:253-277; Schardl et al. (1987) Gene 61:1-11; and Berger et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86:8402-8406.)

[0237] Vectors comprising sequences encoding the present polypeptides and vectors comprising post-translational enzymes or subunits thereof may be co-introduced into the desired plant. Procedures for transforming plant cells are available in the art, for example, direct gene transfer, in vitro protoplast transformation, plant virus-mediated transformation, liposome-mediated transformation, microinjection, electroporation, Agrobacterium mediated transformation, and particle bombardment. (See, e.g., Paszkowski et al. (1984) EMBO J. 3:2717-2722; U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,611; European Application No. 0 67 553; U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,956; U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,475; Crossway et al. (1986) Biotechniques 4:320-334; Riggs et al. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 83:5602-5606; Hinchee et al. (1988) Biotechnology 6:915-921; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,050.) Standard methods for the transformation of, e.g., rice, wheat, corn, sorghum, and barley are described in the art. (See, e.g., Christou et al. (1992) Trends in Biotechnology 10: 239 and Lee et al. (1991) Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA 88:6389.) Wheat can be transformed by techniques similar to those employed for transforming corn or nice. Furthermore, Casas et al. (1993) Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA 90:11212, describe a method for transforming sorghum, while Wan et al. (1994) Plant Physiol. 104: 37, teach a method for transforming barley. Suitable methods for corn transformation are provided by Fromm et al. (1990) Bio/Technology 8:833 and by Gordon-Kamm et al., supra.

[0238] Additional methods that may be used to generate plants that produce animal collagens of the present invention are well established in the art. (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,091; U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,347; U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,241; U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,122; U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,874; U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,071; U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,412; U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,865; U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,112; U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,841; U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,179; U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,439; U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,720; U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,425; U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,245; U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,837; U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,052; U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,435; U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,152; U.S. Pat. No. 5,627,061; U.S. Pat. No. 5,602,321; U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,612; U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,253; U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,619; U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,124; U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,730; U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,253; U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,168; European Publication No. EPA 00709462; European Publication No. EPA 00578627; European Publication No. EPA 00531273; European Publication No. EPA 00426641; PCT Publication No. WO 99/31248; PCT Publication No. WO 98/58069; PCT Publication No. WO 98/45457; PCT Publication No. WO 98/31812; PCT Publication No. WO 98/08962; PCT Publication No. WO 97/48814; PCT Publication No. WO 97/30582; and PCT Publication No. WO 9717459.)

[0239] Insect

[0240] Another alternative expression system used in accordance with the present methods is an insect system. Baculoviruses are very efficient expression vectors for the large scale production of various recombinant proteins in insect cells. The methods as described in, for example, Luckow et al. (1989) Virology 170:31-39 and Gruenwald, S. and Heitz, J. (1993) Baculovirus Expression Vector System: Procedures & Methods Manual, Pharmingen, San Diego, Calif., can be employed to construct expression vectors containing a collagen coding sequence for the collagens of the invention and the appropriate transcriptional/translational control signals. For example, recombinant production of proteins can be achieved in insect cells, by infection of baculovirus vectors encoding the polypeptide. In one aspcect of the present invention, production of recombinant polypeptides with stable triple helices can involve the co-infection of insect cells with three baculoviruses, one encoding the animal collagen to be expressed and one each encoding the α subunit and β subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase. This insect cell system allows for production of recombinant proteins in large quantities. In one such system, Autographa californica nuclear polyhidrosis virus (AcNPV) is used as a vector to express foreign genes. The virus grows in Spodoptera frugiperda cells. Coding sequence for the polypeptides of the invention may be cloned into non-essential regions (for example the polyhedron gene) of the virus and placed under control of an AcNPV promoter (for example, the polyhedron promoter). Successful insertion of a coding sequence will result in inactivation of the polyhedron gene and production of non-occluded recombinant virus (i.e., virus lacking the proteinaceous coat coded for by the polyhedron gene). These recombinant viruses are then used to infect Spodoptera frugiperda cells in which the inserted gene is expressed. (See, e.g., Smith et al. (1983) J. Virol. 46:584; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,051). Further examples of this expression system may be found in, for example, Ausubel et al., supra.

[0241] Animal

[0242] In animal host cells, a number of expression systems may be utilized. In cases where an adenovirus is used as an expression vector, polynucleotide sequences of the present invention may be ligated to an adenovirus transcription/translation control complex, e.g., the late promoter and tripartite leader sequence. This chimeric gene may then be inserted in the adenovirus genome by in vitro or in vivo recombination. Insertion in a non-essential region of the viral genome (e.g., region E1 or E3) will result in a recombinant virus that is viable and capable of expressing the encoded polypeptides in infected hosts. (See, e.g., Logan & Shenk, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81:3655-3659 (1984)). Alternatively, the vaccinia 7.5 K promoter may be used. (See, e.g., Mackett et al. (1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79:7415-7419; Mackett et al. (1982) J. Virol. 49:857-864; and Panicali et al. (1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79:4927-4931.

[0243] A preferred expression system in mammalian host cells is the Semliki Forest virus. Infection of mammalian host cells, for example, baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells can yield very high recombinant expression levels. Semliki Forest virus is a preferred expression system as the virus has a broad host range such that infection of mammalian cell lines will be possible. More specifically, it is expected that the use of the Semliki Forest virus can be used in a wide range of hosts, as the system is not based on chromosomal intergration, and therefore will be a quick way of obtaining modifications of the recombinant animal collagens in studies aiming at identifying structure-function relationships and testing the effects of various hybrid molecules. Methods for constructing Semliki Forest virus vectors for expression of exogenous proteins in mammalian host cells are described in, for example, Olkkonen et al. (1994) Methods Cell Biol 43:43-53.

[0244] Transgenic animals may also be used to express the polypeptides of the present invention. Such systems can be constructed by operably linking the polynucleotide of the invention to a promoter, along with other required or optional regulatory sequences capable of effecting expression in mammary glands. Likewise, required or optional post-translational enzymes may be produced simultaneously in the target cells employing suitable expression systems. Methods of using transgenic animals to recombinantly produce proteins are known in the art. (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,866; U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,838; U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,992; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,396.)

[0245] Uses of Collagens and Gelatins

[0246] The recombinant collagens and gelatins of the present invention are useful in a variety of applications. Collagen is widely used in numerous applications in the medical, pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. For example, collagen is an important component of arterial sealants, bone grafts, drug delivery systems, dermal implants, hemostats, and incontinence implants. In treatments for autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, collagen has been evaluated in trials for its potential to induce oral-tolerance. Collagen is also applied in food products such as sausage casings, and other collagen-based casings derived from, for example, porcine, bovine, and ovine sources. In health and beauty applications, collagen can be found, for example, in cosmetics or facial and skin products such as moisturizers. To date, various collagens used in various applications are derived from animal sources using enzymatic and chemical processes. For example, commercially available bovine collagen is isolated from bovine tissues and bones, and is comprised of a mixture of primarily types I and III collagen. This form of collagen is also used as an injectable device in humans.

[0247] Gelatin appears in the manufacture or as a component of various pharmaceutical and medical products and devices, including pharmaceutical stabilizers, e.g., drug and vaccine, plasma extenders, sponges, hard and soft gelatin capsules, suppositories, etc. Gelatin's film-forming capabilities are employed in various film coating systems designed specifically for pharmaceutical oral solid dosage forms, including controlled release capsules and tablets.

[0248] Gelatin in various edible forms has long been used in the food and beverage industries. Gelatin serves as an emulsifier and thickener in various whipped toppings, as well as in soups and sauces. Gelatin is used as a flocculating agent in clarifying and fining various beverages, including wines and fruit juices. Gelatin is used in various low and reduced fat products as a thickener and stabilizer, and appears elsewhere as a fat substitute. Gelatin is also widely used in micro-encapsulation of flavorings, colors, and vitamins. Gelatin can also be used as a protein supplement in various high energy and nutritional beverages and foods, such as those prevalent in the weight-loss and athletic industries. As a film-former, gelatin is used in coating fruits, meats, deli items, and in various confectionery products, including candies and gum, etc.

[0249] In the cosmetics industry, gelatin appears in a variety of hair care and skin care products. Gelatin is used as a thickener and bodying agent in a number of shampoos, mousses, creams, lotions, face masks, lipsticks, manicuring solutions and products, and other cosmetic devices and applications. Gelatin is also used in the cosmetics industry in micro-encapsulation and packaging of various products.

[0250] Gelatin is used in a wide range of industrial applications. For example, gelatin is widely used as a glue and adhesive in various manufacturing processes. Gelatin can be used in various adhesive and gluing formulations, such as in the manufacture of remoistenable gummed paper packaging tapes, wood gluing, paper bonding of various grades of box boards and papers, and in various applications which provide adhesive surfaces which can be reactivated by remoistening.

[0251] Gelatin serves as a light-sensitive coating in various electronic devices and is used as a photoresist base in various photolithographic processes, for example, in color television and video camera manufacturing. In semiconductor manufacturing, gelatin is used in constructing lead frames and in the coating of various semiconductor elements. Gelatin is used in various printing processes and in the manufacturing of special quality papers, such as that used in bond and stock certificates, etc.

[0252] Gelatin is used in a variety of photographic applications, e.g., as a carrier for various active components in photographic solutions, including solutions used in X-ray and photographic film development. Gelatin, long used in various photoengraving techniques, is also included as a component of various types of film, and is heavily used in silver halide chemistry in various layers of film and paper products. Silver gelatin film appears in the form of microfiche film and in other forms of information storage. Gelatin is used as a self-sealing element of various films, etc.

[0253] Gelatin has also been a valuable substance for use in various laboratory applications. For example, gelatin can be used in various cell culture applications, providing a suitable surface for cell attachment and growth, e.g., plate or flask coating, or providing a surface for cell attachment and growth. Hydrolyzed or low gel strength gelatin is used as a biological buffer in various processes, for example, in coating and blocking solutions used in assays such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and other immunoassays. Gelatin is also a component in various gels used for biochemical and electrophoretic analysis, including enzymography gels.

EXAMPLES

[0254] The following examples are provided solely to illustrate the claimed invention. The present invention, however, is not limited in scope by the exemplified embodiments, which are intended as illustrations of single aspects of the invention only, and methods which are functionally equivalent are within the scope of the invention. Indeed, various modifications of the invention in addition to those described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. Such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Example 1 Sequencing of Bovine Procollagen Type I α1

[0255] Experiments were performed to generate α1(I) collagen gene fragments by PCR from a commercial bovine aorta smooth muscle cDNA library (Stratagene #936705) that had been a successful source of bovine collagen (I) alpha 2 gene fragments in initial PCR experiments. In this initial screening process, PCR primers were designed from the bovine mRNA sequence (Shirai et al. (1998) Matrix Biology 17:85-88) of collagen (I) α2, and PCR amplifications performed, and DNA fragments were obtained. Although the commercial library was shown to contain the complete coding region of the bovine collagen (I) alpha 2 gene, attempts to generate fragments of the bovine α1(I) collagen gene using a variety of human α1(I) collagen sequence PCR primers proved unsuccessful. An alternative source of a cDNA pool likely to contain a bovine α1(I) collagen transcript was sought.

[0256] An ATCC bovine skin cell line (CRL-6054; skin, normal, bovine) was grown to approximately 60% confluency and total RNA was isolated (Qiagen RNeasy). A cDNA pool was prepared from the resulting RNA by RT-PCR (Clontech RT-for-PCR reagents). This cDNA pool was used as the template source for subsequent PCR experiments of overlapping gene fragments.

[0257] Primers were designed from known human α1(I) collagen mRNA sequence, and used to amplify overlapping segments of the open reading frame (ORF) of the gene. (Mackay et al. (1993) Human Molecular Genetics 2(8): 1155-1160). The PCR primers were engineered to amplify fragments located in the triple helical coding region of the human α1(I) collagen gene and are set forth in Table 1. TABLE 1 SEQ ID NO: PRIMER SEQUENCE 13 SSCP 1F CCGGCTCCTGCTCCTCTTAG 14 SSCP 1REV GCCAGGAGCACCAGCAATAC 15 SSCP 2F GCTGATGGACAGCCTGGTGC 16 SSCP 2REV GCCCTGGAAGACCAGCTGCA 17 SSCP 3F CCTGGCCTTAAGGGAATGCC 18 SSCP 3REV GCGCCAGGAGAACCGTCTCG 19 SSCP 4F CCGAAGGTTCCCCTGGACGA 20 SSCP 4REV CGGTCATGCTCTCGCCGAAC

[0258] The primers were used to obtain four overlapping bovine PCR fragments covering the triple helical portion of the bovine α1(I) collagen gene. PCR (Clontech, Advantage GC-Rich cDNA PCR kit; all PCR primers used @ 100 pmol each per reaction) was performed using a thermal cycler (Hybaid, non-refrigerated) under the following conditions: Step 1: 94° C. for 4 minutes Step 2: 28 cycles of: 68° C. for 3 minutes 94° C. for 30 seconds 60° C. for 30 seconds Step 3: 68° C. for 10 minutes 30° C. for 1 second Hold @ room temperature

[0259] All PCR products were initially screened by gel electrophoresis, and those of the predicted size were purified by agarose gel electrophoresis and/or column purification (Qiagen Qiaquick). To facilitate sequencing, the selected PCR fragments were cloned into a vector (pCRII-TOPO kit, Invitrogen). Multiple clones of each PCR fragment were sequenced with an external vector sequencing primers (M13 forward and reverse) using an ABI 373 automated sequencer (ABI PRISM® BigDye™ Terminator Cycle Sequencing Kit, Perkin-Elmer). Sequence data obtained was analyzed with the use of SEQMAN software (DNASTAR) and a consensus sequence determined for the cloned fragments.

[0260] The resulting bovine α1(I) collagen sequence obtained was used to design internal bovine collagen sequencing primers, which were then used to complete the sequencing of these bovine clones. These primers were designed with the aid of primer design software (RightPrimer, BioDisk), and are set forth in Table 2. TABLE 2 SEQ ID NO: PRIMER SEQUENCE 21 B C1A1 SP 502F CCCCAGTTGTCTTACGGCTATG 22 B C1A1 SP 502REV CATAGCCGTAAGACAACTGGGG 23 B C1A1 SP 886F GGTAGCCCCGGTGAAAATG 24 B C1A1 SP 886REV CATTTTCACCGGGGCTACC 25 B C1A1 SP 1302F GCCCCAAGGGTAACAGCGGT 26 B C1A1 SP 1302REV ACCGCTGTTACCCTTGGGGC 27 B C1A1 SP 1560F TCCTGGCCCTGCTGGCCCCAAA 28 B C1A1 SP 1560REV TTTGGGGCCAGCAGGGCCAGGA 29 B C1A1 SP 1770F TGGACCTAAAGGTGCTGCTGGA 30 B C1A1 SP 1770REV TCCAGCAGCACCTTTAGGTCCA 31 B C1A1 SP 1997F GAACAGGGTGTTCCTGGAGA 32 B C1A1 SP 1997REV TCTCCAGGAACACCCTGTTC 33 B C1A1 SP 2289F GGCAAAGATGGCGTCCGT 34 B C1A1 SP 2289REV ACGGACGCCATCTTTGCC 35 B C1A1 SP 2592F GCTAAAGGCGAACCTGGCGA 36 B C1A1 SP 2592REV TCGCCAGGTTCGCCTTTAGC 37 B C1A1 SP 3198F GCCGGCAAGAGCGGTGATCGT 38 B C1A1 SP 3198REV ACGATCACCGCTCTTGCCGGC 39 B C1A1 SP 3648F CGATGGTGGCCGCTACTAC 40 B C1A1 SP 3648REV GTAGTAGCGGCCACCATCG 41 B C1A1 SP 4007F AGAGCATGACCGAAGGGCGAATT 42 B C1A1 SP 4007REV AATTCGCCCTTCGGTCATGCTCT

[0261] After producing bovine PCR products with the eight SSCP human primers shown in Table 1 (SEQ ID NOs:13 through 20), three additional PCR fragments were amplified, overlapping the initial bovine clones, and extending to the putative ends (by analogy with the human α1(I) collagen sequence) of the ORF. The PCR primers used for this amplification are set forth in Table 3. TABLE 3 SEQ ID NO: PRIMER SEQUENCE 43 H AVR II F TTAATTCCTAGGATGTTCAGCTTTGTGGACCTCCGGCTC 44 H EAR 1 F TGCCACTCTGACTGGAAGAGTGGAGAGTACTG 45 H NOT1 REV TTTTCCTTTTGCGGCCGCTTACAGGAAGCAGACAGGGCCAACGTC

[0262] The resulting DNA fragments were cloned and sequenced, and a consensus sequence was established for most of the ORF of the gene by pairing of the following primers: H AVR II (SEQ ID NO:43) with SSCP 1REV (SEQ ID NO:14); H EAR 1 F (SEQ ID NO:44) with H NOT1 REV (SEQ ID NO:45); and SSCP 4F (SEQ ID NO:19) with H NOTI REV (SEQ ID NO:45).

[0263] To obtain thew 5′ and 3′ ends of the cDNA clone, nested PCR primers were designed from the bovine sequence by RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) methodology (SMART RACE cDNA Amplification Kit, Clontech), and with the aid of primer design software. For increased specificity, the primers were designed to have particularly high melting temperatures. The designed primers are set forth in Table 4. TABLE 4 SEQ ID NO: PRIMER SEQUENCE 46 GS BC1A1 118REV GTCATGGTACCTGAGGCCGTTCTGTACGCA 47 GS BC1A1 190REV ACGTCATCGCACAGCACGTTGCCGTTGTC 48 GS BC1A1 213REV AGGACAGTCCTTAAGTTCGTCGCAGATCACGTCA 49 CS BC1A1 761REV AGGGAGGCCAGCTGTTCCAGGCAATC 50 CS BC1A1 3085F CCGAAGGTTCCCCTGGACGAGATGGTT 51 GS BC1A1 3305F CGTGGTGACAAGGGTGAGACAGGCGAACA 52 GS BC1A1 3675F CGGGCTGATGATGCCAATGTGGTCCGT 53 GS BC1A1 3905F AACATGGAAACCGGTGAGACCTGTGTATACCC

[0264] The total bovine mRNA described above was further utilized to prepare new cDNA pools with the necessary external priming sites for use as PCR templates. PCR products were obtained at both the 5′ and 3′ ends of the gene using: (1) touchdown PCR techniques; (2) the newly designed bovine RACE PCR primers; and (3) materials supplied in the kit. Two touchdown PCR programs were used in a Peltier-cooled thermal cycler using the following protocol and conditions:

[0265] 72° C. 68° C. touchdown program I:

[0266] Step 1: 8 cycles with the following conditions:

[0267] 94° C. for 10 seconds

[0268] 72° C. for 10 seconds, each cycle thereafter drop 0.5° C.

[0269] 72° C. for 3 minutes

[0270] Step 2: 28 cycles of the following conditions:

[0271] 94° C. for 10 seconds

[0272] 68° C. for 10 seconds

[0273] 72° C. for 3 minutes

[0274] 72° C. for 10 minutes

[0275] 4° C. HOLD

[0276] 68° C.-64° C. touchdown program II:

[0277] Step 1: 8 cycles of the following conditions:

[0278] 94° C. for 10 seconds

[0279] 68° C. for 10 seconds, each cycle thereafter drop 0.5° C.

[0280] 72° C. for 3 minutes

[0281] Step 2: 28 cycles of the following conditions:

[0282] 94° C. for 10 seconds

[0283] 64° C. for 10 seconds

[0284] 72° C. for 3 minutes

[0285] 72° C. for 10 minutes

[0286] 4° C. HOLD

[0287] The resulting fragments were examined by 1.2% agarose gel electrophoresis, and subsequent cloning and sequencing analysis was performed. PCR products resulting from both programs were used. The resulting sequences overlapped the previously cloned bovine α1(I) collagen sequences, and encoded the 5′ and 3′ ends of the ORF as well as the contiguous untranslated cDNA regions. The nucleotide sequence for bovine procollagen type I 1α is shown in FIGS. 1A through 1C (SEQ ID NO:1). The corresponding amino acid sequence is described in FIGS. 2A through 2D (SEQ ID NO:2).

[0288] As shown in FIGS. 13A through 13I, translated bovine collagen ORF sequences were aligned with known human (HU), mouse (MUS), dog (CANIS), bullfrog (RANA), and Japanese newt (CYNPS) sequences. The translated bovine sequence also aligns with published amino acid sequence fragments of the triple helical repeat domains of bovine α1(I) collagen. (See, e.g., Miller (1984) Extracellular Matrix Biochemistry, ed. Piez, et al., Elsevier Science Publishing, New York, pp. 41-81; and SWISSPROT database accession number p02453.) Numerous differences between the predicted bovine α1(I) collagen protein sequence provided by the present invention and previously known bovine protein sequences were noted. Some of these differences include substitutions of amino acids that are typically difficult to distinguish by protein sequencing (i.e., glutamine/glutamic acid and aspartic acid/asparagine). The polynucleotide sequence disclosed herein as SEQ ID NO:1 suggests these known bovine α1(I) collagen protein sequences may include errors, and therefore may, for example, be precluded for use in construction of a synthetic gene encoding authentic bovine α1(I) collagen gene by amino acid back-translation.

EXAMPLE 2 Sequencing of Bovine Procollagen Type III α1

[0289] Bovine procollagen type III α1 cDNA was isolated as follows. Using 1 μl of Bovine Liver Poly A⁺ RNA (Clontech, Cat No. 6810-1), a cDNA strand was constructed with a reverse transcription reaction set up as follows using the Ambion Retroscript kit (Cat No. 1710):

[0290] 1 μl RNA (1 μg)

[0291] 4 μl dNTPs mix (2.5 mM each)

[0292] 2 μl Oligo dT first strand primers

[0293] 9 μl Sterile water

[0294] This solution was incubated at 75° C. for 3 min and then placed on ice. The following was then added

[0295] 2 μl 10×Alternative RT-PCR buffer

[0296] 1 μl Placental RNAase inhibitor

[0297] 1 μl M-MLV reverse transcriptase

[0298] The reaction was allowed to proceed at 42° C. for 90 min and inactivated by incubation at 92° C. for 10 min. The reaction was then stored at −20° C.

[0299] Oligonucleotide primers were designed based on the sequence from the human procollagen type 3 α1 cDNA (Genbank Accession No. X14420) and the bovine procollagen type 3 α1 cDNA (Genbank Accession No. L47641). PCR was performed using the first strand cDNA prepared above and the primers as set forth in Table 5. TABLE 5 SEQ ID NO: PRIMER SEQUENCE 54 CIII-1 GACATGATGAGCTTTGTGCAAAAGG 55 CIII-6 TTTGGTTTATAAAAAGCAAACAGGGCC 56 A3-N TCTCATGTCTGATATTTAGACATG 57 CIII-4 GGACTAATGAGGCTTTCTATTTGTCC 58 CIII-2 GGCACCATTCTTACCAGGCTCACC 59 CIII-3 TGGGTCCCGCTGGCATTCCTGG 60 CIII-5 CCAGGACAACCAGGCCCTCCTGG

[0300] The PCR reaction conditions were as follows:

[0301] 5 μl Reverse transcriptase reaction above

[0302] 5 μl 10× Reaction Buffer

[0303] 1.5 μl dNTPs mix (2.5 mM each)

[0304] 1.5 μl Primer CIII-1 (5 μM)

[0305] 1.5 μl Primer CIII-6 (5 μM)

[0306] 0.5 μl Platinum pfx polymerase (Life Tech., Cat No. 11708-013)

[0307] 35 μl Sterile Water

[0308] 50 μl Total Volume

[0309] The reaction mixture was cycled in a Techne Genius DNA Thermal Cycler as follows:

[0310] 80° C. 2 min

[0311] 94° C. 2 min for 1 cycle

[0312] 94° C. 30 sec

[0313] 55° C. 30 sec for 35 cycles

[0314] 68° C. 4.5 min

[0315] 68° C. 5 min for 1 cycle

[0316] A DNA band of approximately 4500 bp was identified in the reaction using primers CIII-I (SEQ ID NO:54) and CIII-6 (SEQ ID NO:55). This DNA fragment was purified using a Qiagen QiaQuick Gel Extraction Kit (Cat No. 28704), and ligated to plasmid vector pCR ®-Blunt (Invitrogen Zero Blunt TM PCR Cloning Kit, Cat NO. K2700-20). The resultant recombinant plasmids were introduced into competent E. coli (JM 109) and stocks of recombinant plasmid DNA generated using the Qiagen Qiaprep Spin Miniprep Kit (Cat No. 27106). DNA was sequenced on an LI-COR 4200 Automated Fluorescent Sequencer (MWG-Biotech UK Ltd.).

[0317] In areas where high quality sequence was available from partial bovine sequence as described in Genbank Accession Nos. L47641 and PO4258 (amino acid only), the sequences of the bovine α1(III) cDNA of the present invention were shown to be identical. In other areas, sequence highly homologous to the human procollagen α1(III) cDNA (Genbank Accession No. X14420) and porcine procollagen α1(III) cDNA (Genbank Accession Nos. C94995, C94535, and C94565) was identified.

[0318] Since the 5′ primer CIII-1 (SEQ ID NO:54) was designed using to the human sequence and was thus integrated into the newly isolated cDNA, the native bovine sequence was identified in this area as follows. An additional PCR fragment of approximately 3700 bp was amplified from bovine cDNA using primers A3-N (SEQ ID NO:56) and CIII-4 (SEQ ID NO:57). Primer A3-N was designed according to the sequence of the human procollagen type 3 α1 cDNA, in the region immediately upstream of the start codon. The resulting fragment was sequenced and confirmed using primers CIII-1 (SEQ ID NO: 54) and CIII-6 (SEQ ID NO: 55).

[0319] In summary, full length cDNA for bovine procollagen α1(II) was isolated by RT-PCR from bovine mRNA. Following extensive sequencing (three independent PCR reactions) using primers described in Table 5 and sequencing primers designed using methods described in Example 1 and methods known to those of skill in the art, 4428 bp of contiguous sequence containing the start codon ATG and stop codon TAA was assembled (FIGS. 3A through 3C, SEQ ID NO:3). The deduced amino acid sequence is shown in FIGS. 4A through 4D (SEQ ID NO:4). Two cDNA sequence variants of bovine α₁(III) collagen (SEQ ID NO:3 and SEQ ID NO:5) were obtained and confirmed by sequencing of multiple clones. SEQ ID NO:3 and the corresponding amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:4) correspond to the appropriate region within the sequence of Genbank Accession No. L47641. Comparatively, SEQ ID NO:5 (FIGS. 5A through 5C) displayed a C to T base substitution, leading to the codon change AAC to AAT (both encoding Asp); an A to G base substitution, leading to the codon change AAT to GAT (Asp to Asn substitution as residue 1232); and a T to C base subtitution, leading to the codon change GTC to GCC (Val to Ala substitution at residue 1382). The corresponding deduced amino acid sequence is shown in FIGS. 6A through 6D (SEQ ID NO:6). The above sequences were identical to available partial bovine sequences (Genbank Accession Nos. L47641 and PO₄₂₅₈).

EXAMPLE 3 Sequencing of Porcine Procollagen Type I α1

[0320] Porcine procollagen type I α1 cDNA was isolated using the following methods. Frozen porcine liver (obtained from Anglo Dutch Meats, Charing, Kent) was placed in liquid nitrogen and pulverized with a pestle and mortar. Approximately 800 mg of the crushed material was added to 5 ml lysis binding solution as described in the Ambion RNAqeous Kit (Cat No. 1912). Following Dounce homogenization, any debris was removed by centrifugation (12,000×g, 2 min) and an additional 5 ml lysis binding solution was added to the homogenate. Ten milliliters of 64% ethanol was added, mixed, and the lysate/ethanol mixture was applied to the RNAqeous filter (Ambion). Each filter was loaded with 2×700 μl lysate/ethanol mixture and centrifuged (12,000×g, 1 min). The filters were then washed once with 700 μl Wash Solution No. 1 (Ambion) and twice with 500 μl Wash Solution No. 2/3 (Ambion), and centrifuged after each wash step with a final centrifugation step after the final wash (12,000×g, 15 sec). The RNA was eluted from the filter by applying 2×60 μl preheated (95° C.) Elution solution (Ambion) to the center of the filter and centrifugation (12,000×g, room temp, 30 sec). The four eluates of four purifications of RNA (total concentration ˜15 μg) were pooled and precipitated with 0.5×vol lithium chloride (Ambion) overnight at −20° C. This was then centrifuged at 12,000×g, 15 min, 4° C., and the pellet washed with 70% ethanol. The pellet was then air dried and resuspended in 15 μl sterile water and stored at 70° C.

[0321] Using 1 μl of the RNA isolated above, a cDNA strand was constructed, using the reverse transcription reaction performed as described above in Example 2. Oligonucleotide primers based on the sequence from the human procollagen α1(I) cDNA (Genbank Accession No. NM000088) and the porcine procollagen α1(I) cDNA (Genbank Accession No. C94935) were designed. PCR was then performed, using methods described in Example 2, with the first strand cDNA prepared and primers corresponding to known human or porcine DNA (Table 6). TABLE 6 SEQ ID NO PRIMER SEQUENCE 61 HU1-5 GACATGTTCAGCTTTGTGGACCTC 62 PCA1-6 AGTTTACAGGAAGCAGACAG 63 A1-N CTACATGTCTAGGGTCTAGACATG 64 PCA1-4 AGGCGCCAGGCTCGCCAGGCTCAC 65 PCA1-3 AGTTGTCTTATGGCTATGATGAG

[0322] The reverse transcriptase-PCR was carried out on RNA purified from porcine liver and a DNA band of approximately 4500 bp was identified in the reaction, using primers HU1-5 (SEQ ID NO:61) and PCA1-6 (SEQ ID NO:62). This DNA fragment was purified, cloned, and sequenced as described in Example 2.

[0323] Since the 5′ primer HU1-5 (SEQ ID NO:61) was designed according to the human sequence and thus was integrated into the newly isolated cDNA described above, the native porcine sequence needed to be confirmed in this area. An additional PCR fragment of approximately 750 bp was consequently amplified from porcine cDNA using primers Al-N (SEQ ID NO:63) and PCAI-4 (SEQ ID NO:64). Primer Al-N (SEQ ID NO:63) was designed according to the sequence of the human procollagen α1(I) cDNA in the region immediately upstream of the start codon. This fragment was sequenced to confirm that the full-length porcine α1(I) cDNA fragment generated using primers HU1-5 (SEQ ID NO:61) and PCA1-6 (SEQ ID NO:62) had the authentic porcine 5′ end rather than a hybrid sequence introduced by the human sequence based primer. In summary, full-length cDNA for porcine procollagen α1(I) was isolated by RT-PCR from porcine liver. Following extensive sequencing (three independent PCR reactions), 4425 bp of contiguous sequence containing the start codon ATG and stop codon TAA was assembled as shown in FIGS. 7A through 7C (SEQ ID NO:7). This sequence was identical to the available partial porcine sequence (Genbank Accession Nos. C94935 and AU058670). The sequence shows a high degree of homology to the human procollagen type 1 α1 sequence (Accession No. G4502944). The corresponding amino acid sequence of the porcine type 1 μl collagen is shown in FIGS. 8A through 8D (SEQ ID NO:8).

EXAMPLE 4 Sequencing of Porcine Procollagen Type I α2

[0324] Porcine procollagen type I α2 cDNA was isolated using the following methods. Total RNA isolation, reverse transcription, and PCR were performed essentially as described above in Example 2. Oligonucleotide primers were designed based on the sequence from the human α2(I) procollagen (Genbank Accession No. NM000089) and the porcine α2(I) procollagen (Genbank Accession No. AU058497). Primers used are set forth in Table 7. TABLE 7 SEQ ID NO PRIMER SEQUENCE 66 HU2-5 GACATGCTCAGCTTTGTGGATACG 67 PCA2-6 AGCTGGACCAGGCTCACCAACAA 68 PCA2-5 TGGTGCTAAGGGTGCTGCTGGCCT 69 PCA2-8 AGG7TTCACCCACTGATCCAGCAACA 70 PCA2-7 TCCCTCTGGAGAGCCTGGTACTGCT 71 PCA2-2 TGGAAGTTTGGGTTTTAAACTTCCC 72 A2-N ACACAAGGAGTCTGCATGTCT

[0325] The following primer pairs were used to generate three overlapping fragments of the following sizes: 1054 bp DNA, using primer HU2-5 (SEQ If) NO:66) and primer PCA2-6 (SEQ ID NO:67); 1766 bp DNA, using primer PCA2-5 (SEQ ID NO:68) and primer PCA2-8 (SEQ ID NO:69); and 1937 bp DNA, using primer PCA2-7 (SEQ ID NO:70) and primer PCA2-2 (SEQ ID NO:71). These DNA fragments were isolated, subcloned and sequenced using methods described above. Sequence highly homologous to the full-length human collagen α2(I) gene (Genbank Accession No. NM000089) or to the partial porcine α2(I) sequence (Genbank Accession No, AU058497) was identified.

[0326] As the 5′ primer HU2-5 (SEQ ID NO:66) used in the cloning of the porcine procollagen type 1 α2 cDNA was designed using to the human sequence and was thus integrated into the newly isolated cDNA, a further PCR fragment of approximately 1100 bp was consequently amplified from porcine cDNA using primers A2-N (SEQ ID NO:72) and PCA2-6 (SEQ ID NO:67). Primer A2-N had been designed according to the sequence of the human (Genbank Accession No. NM0000890) and bovine (Genbank Accession No. AB008683) procollagen α2(I) cDNA in the region immediately upstream of the start codon. The sequence of this DNA fragment confirmed that the full-length fragment generated using primers HU2-5 and PCA2-2 had the authentic porcine 5′ end. The full-length nucleotide sequence for the porcine α2(I) collagen gene is shown in FIGS. 9A through 9C (SEQ ID NO:9). The corresponding amino acid sequence is described in FIGS. 10A through 10C (SEQ ID NO:10).

EXAMPLE 5 Sequencing of Porcine Procollagen Type III α1

[0327] Porcine procollagen type III α1 cDNA was isolated using the following methods. Total RNA was isolated from frozen porcine liver, reverse transcription, and PCR was performed as described above in Example 2. Oligonucleotide primers were designed based on the sequence from the human procollagen type 3 α1 cDNA (Genbank Accession No. X14420) and the porcine procollagen type 3 α1 cDNA (Genbank Accession Nos. C94995, C94535, and C94565). These primers are set forth in Table 5 above.

[0328] RT-PCR was carried out on RNA purified from porcine liver and a DNA band of approximately 4500 bp was identified in the reaction using primers CIII-1 (SEQ ID NO:54) and CIII-6 (SEQ ID NO:55). This DNA fragment was purified, subcloned, and sequenced as described above. In areas where high quality sequence was available from partial porcine sequence as described in Genbank Accession Nos. C94565, C94535, and C95995, the sequence of the new cDNA was shown to be identical. In other areas sequence highly homologous to the human procollagen α1(III) cDNA (Genbank Accession No. X14420) and bovine procollagen α1(III) cDNA (sequences derived from the current inventions and Genbank Accession No. L47641) were identified.

[0329] As the 5′ primer CIII-1 was designed using the human sequence and was integrated into the newly isolated cDNA, the native porcine sequence needed to be confirmed. A further PCR fragment of approximately 3700 bp was consequently amplified from porcine cDNA using primers A3-N (SEQ ID NO:56) and CIII-4 (SEQ ID NO:57). Primer A3-N was designed according to the sequence of the human procollagen α1(III) cDNA in the region immediately upstream of the start codon. This fragment was sequenced to confirm that the full-length fragment generated using primers CIII-1 and CIII-6 had the authentic porcine 5′ sequence.

[0330] In summary, a full-length cDNA for porcine α1(III) procollagen was isolated by RT-PCR from porcine liver. Following extensive sequencing (three independent PCR reactions) 4428 bp of contiguous sequence containing the start codon ATG and stop codon TAA was assembled. (FIGS. 11A through 11C, SEQ ID NO:11.). This sequence was identical to available partial porcine sequence (Genbank Accession Nos. C94565, C94535, and C95995). Overall the sequence showed a high degree of homology to the human α1(III) procollagen cDNA (Genbank Accession No. X14420) and bovine α1(III) procollagen cDNA (from the current invention and Genbank Accession Nos. L47641 and PO₄₂₅₈). The deduced amino acid sequence for porcine type III α1 collagen is presented in FIGS. 12A through 12C (SEQ ID NO:12).

EXAMPLE 6 Production of Animal Collagens and Gelatins in Transgenic Plants

[0331] The cDNAs encoding an animal collagen of the present invention, an α subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase, and a β subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase are cloned into an appropriate plant expression vector that contains the necessary elements to properly express a foreign protein. Such elements may include, for example a signal peptide, promoter and a terminator. (See, e.g., Rogers et al., supra; Schardl et al., supra, Berger et al., supra.) For example, pVL vectors have been described in the art. (See, e.g., A. Lamberg et al. (1996) J. Biol. Chem.271:11988-11995.) These recombinant pVL vectors are used as a gene source for the construction of plant expression vectors using conventional methods known in the art. In order to express the collagen in plant or plant cells, the nucleic acid sequences are operably linked, for example, to a CaMV 35S promoter. The nucleic acid sequences encoding an α subunit or β subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase are operably linked to a CaMV 35S promoter, and may be present on the same plasmid or on different plasmids to produce a biologically active prolyl 4-hydroxylase.

[0332] The expression vectors are transformed into plants or plant cells using transformation techniques well known in the art. The expression clones are selected by, for example, northern and western blotting, and can be cultivated in a fermentor to generate a cell mass for purification of recombinant collagen.

[0333] The expression of the α subunit and the β subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase and animal collagen is screened, for example, by immunoblotting using three hundred (300) mg cell pellets extraction in 10 mM Tris, pH 7.8, 100 mM NaCl, 100 mM Glycine, 10 uM DTT, 0.1% Triton X100, 2 uM Leupeptin, and 0.25 mM PMSF. The proteins in the extract are separated with 4-20% SDS-PAGE, and transferred to a nitrocellulose membrane to be probed with antibodies against the α subunit and β subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase and the animal collagen.

[0334] To characterize recombinant animal collagen produced in plants or plant cells, the following protocol is carried out:

[0335] 1. Suspend and homogenize cell pellets in 1M NaCl, 0.05M Tris, pH 7.4 and stir for 1 hour at 4° C. Collect the supernatant by centrifugation at 4° C.;

[0336] 2. Add 7.5 ml acetic acid to the supernatant and incubate at 4° C. for 2 hours. Collect the pellet by centrifugation at 4° C.;

[0337] 3. Wash the pellet twice with 2M NaCl, 0.05M Tris, pH 7.4;

[0338] 4. Re-dissolve in 2M Urea, 0.2M NaCl, 0.05M Tris, pH 7.4;

[0339] 5. Dialyze against 2M Urea, 0.2M NaCl, 0.05M Tris, pH 7.4;

[0340] 6. Run through a DEAE-cellulose column. Collect the flow-through;

[0341] 7. Add acetic acid to 0.5M and add NaCl to 0.9M and incubate for 2 hours at 4° C.;

[0342] 8. Collect pellets by centrifugation;

[0343] 9. Resuspend the pellet in 0.5M acetic acid and stir overnight at 4° C.;

[0344] 10. Digest the pellet with 0.1 mg/ml pepsin for 2 hours;

[0345] 11. Add saturated Tris buffer and adjust pH to 7.4;

[0346] 12. Incubate overnight to inactivate pepsin;

[0347] 13. Add NaCl to 0.9M and acetic acid to 0.5M, Incubate for 2 hours at 4° C.;

[0348] 14. Collect the pellet by centrifugation at 4° C.;

[0349] 15. Wash the pellet with 2M NaCl, 0.05M Tris, pH 7.4;

[0350] 16. Dissolve in 2M Urea, 150M NaCl and 0.05M Tris, pH 7.4; and

[0351] 17. Heat the sample at 56° C. for 5 min and then load to Bio-Gel TSK 40 column operated by HPLC system.

[0352] The resulting purified collagen is characterized by amino acid composition analysis.

[0353] Various modifications and variations of the described methods and systems of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in molecular biology or related fields are intended to be within the scope of the following claims. All references cited herein are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

1 72 1 4748 DNA Bos Taurus 1 cagacgggag tttctcctcg gggtcggagc aggaggcacg cggagtgtga ggccacgcat 60 gagcggacgc taacccccac cccagccgca aagagtctac atgtctaggg tctagacatg 120 ttcagctttg tggacctccg gctcctgctc ctcttagcgg ccaccgccct cctgacgcac 180 ggccaagagg agggccagga agaaggccaa gaagaagaca tcccaccagt cacctgcgta 240 cagaacggcc tcaggtacca tgaccgagac gtgtggaaac ccgtgccctg ccagatctgt 300 gtctgcgaca acggcaacgt gctgtgcgat gacgtgatct gcgacgaact taaggactgt 360 cctaacgcca aagtccccac ggacgaatgc tgccccgtct gccccgaagg ccaggaatca 420 cccacggacc aagaaaccac cggagtcgag ggaccgaaag gagacactgg cccccgaggc 480 ccaaggggac ccgccggccc ccccggccga gatggcatcc ctggacaacc tggacttccc 540 ggaccccctg gaccccccgg acctcccgga ccccctggcc tcggaggaaa ctttgctccc 600 cagttgtctt acggctatga tgagaaatca acaggaattt ccgtgcctgg tcccatgggt 660 ccttctggtc ctcgtggtct ccctggcccc cctggcgcac ctggtcccca aggtttccaa 720 ggcccccctg gtgagcctgg cgagccagga gcctcaggtc ccatgggtcc ccgtggtccc 780 cctggccccc ctggcaagaa cggagatgat ggcgaagctg gaaagcctgg tcgtcctggt 840 gagcgcgggc ctcccggacc tcagggtgct cggggattgc ctggaacagc tggcctccct 900 ggaatgaagg gacacagagg tttcagtggt ttggatggtg ccaagggaga tgctggtcct 960 gctggcccca agggcgagcc tggtagcccc ggtgaaaatg gagctcctgg tcagatgggc 1020 ccccgtggtc tgcctggtga gagaggtcgc cctggagccc ctggccctgc tggtgctcga 1080 ggaaatgatg gtgcgactgg tgctgctggg ccccctggtc ccactggccc cgctggtcct 1140 cctggtttcc ctggtgctgt gggtgctaag ggtgaaggtg gtccccaagg accccgaggt 1200 tctgaaggtc cccagggtgt acgtggtgag cctggccccc ctggccctgc tggtgctgct 1260 ggccctgctg gcaaccctgg tgctgatgga cagcctggtg ctaaaggagc caatggcgct 1320 cctggtattg ctggtgctcc tggcttccct ggtgcccgag gcccctctgg accccagggc 1380 cccagcggcc cccctggccc caagggtaac agcggtgaac ctggtgctcc tggcagcaaa 1440 ggagacactg gcgccaaggg agaacccggt cccactggta ttcaaggccc ccctggcccc 1500 gctggggaag aaggaaagcg aggagcccga ggtgaacctg gacctgctgg cctgcctgga 1560 ccccctggcg agcgtggtgg acctggaagc cgtggtttcc ctggcgccga cggtgttgct 1620 ggtcccaagg gtcctgctgg tgaacgcggt gctcctggcc ctgctggccc caaaggttct 1680 cctggtgaag ctggtcgccc cggtgaagct ggtctgcccg gtgccaaggg tctgactgga 1740 agccctggca gcccgggtcc tgatggcaaa actggccccc ctggtcccgc cggtcaagat 1800 ggccgccctg gacctccagg ccctcccggt gcccgtggtc aggctggcgt gatgggtttc 1860 cctggaccta aaggtgctgc tggagagcct ggaaaagctg gagagcgagg tgttcctgga 1920 ccccctggcg ctgttggtcc tgctggcaaa gacggagaag ctggagctca gggaccccca 1980 ggacctgctg gcccgctggt gagagaggcg aacaaggccc tgctggctcc cctggattcc 2040 agggtctccc cggccctgct ggtcctcctg gtgaagcagg caaacctggt gaacagggtg 2100 ttcctggaga tcttggtgcc cccggcccct ctggagcaag aggcgagaga ggtttccccg 2160 gcgagcgtgg tgtgcaaggg ccgcccggtc ctgcaggtcc ccgtggggcc aatggtgccc 2220 ctggcaacga tggtgctaag ggtgatgctg gtgcccctgg agcccccggt agccagggtg 2280 cccctggcct tcaaggaatg cctggtgaac gaggtgcagc tggtcttcca ggccctaagg 2340 gtgacagagg ggatgctggt cccaaaggtg ctgatggtgc tcctggcaaa gatggcgtcc 2400 gtggtctgac tggtcccatc ggtcctcctg gccccgctgg tgcccctggt gacaagggtg 2460 aagctggtcc tagcggccca gccggtccca ctggagctcg tggtgccccc ggtgaccgtg 2520 gtgagcctgg tccccccggc cctgctggct tcgctggccc ccctggtgct gatggccaac 2580 ctggtgctaa aggcgaacct ggtgatgctg gtgctaaagg tgacgctggt ccccccggcc 2640 ctgctgggcc cgctggaccc cccggcccca ttggtaacgt tggtgctccc ggacccaaag 2700 gtgctcgtgg cagcgctggt ccccctggtg ctactggttt cccaggtgct gctggccgag 2760 ttggtccccc cggcccctct ggaaatgctg gaccccctgg ccctcctggc cctgctggca 2820 aagaaggcag caaaggcccc cgcggtgaga ctggccccgc tgggcgtccc ggtgaagtcg 2880 gtccccctgg tccccctggc cccgctggtg agaaaggagc ccctggtgct gacggacctg 2940 ctggagctcc tggcactcct ggacctcaag gtattgctgg acagcgtggt gtggtcggcc 3000 tgcctggtca gagaggagaa agaggcttcc ctggtcttcc tggcccctct ggtgaacccg 3060 gcaaacaagg tccttctgga gcaagtggtg aacgtggccc ccctggtccc atgggccccc 3120 ctggattggc tggaccccct ggcgagtctg gacgtgaggg agctcctggt gctgaaggat 3180 cccctggacg agatggttct cctggcgcca agggtgaccg tggtgagacc ggccctgctg 3240 gacctcctgg tgctcctggc gctcccggtg cccccggccc tgtcggacct gccggcaaga 3300 gcggtgatcg tggtgagacc ggtcctgctg gtcctgctgg tcccattggc cccgttggtg 3360 cccgtggccc cgctggaccc caaggccccc gtggtgacaa gggtgagaca ggcgaacagg 3420 gcgacagagg cattaagggt caccgtggct tctctggtct ccagggtccc cccggccctc 3480 ccggctctcc tggtgagcaa ggtccttccg gagcctctgg tcctgctggt ccccgcggtc 3540 cccctggctc tgctggttct cccggcaaag atggactcaa tggtctccca ggccccatcg 3600 gtccccctgg gcctcgaggt cgcactggtg atgctggtcc tgctggtcct cccggccctc 3660 ctggaccccc tggtccccca ggtcctccca gcggcggcta cgacttgagc ttcctgcccc 3720 agccacctca agagaaggct cacgatggtg gccgctacta ccgggctgat gatgccaatg 3780 tggtccgtga ccgtgacctc gaggtggaca ccaccctcaa gagcctgagc cagcagatcg 3840 agaacatccg gagccctgaa ggcagccgca agaaccccgc ccgcacctgc cgtgacctca 3900 agatgtgcca ctctgactgg aagagcggag aatactggat tgaccccaac caaggctgca 3960 acctggatgc cattaaggtc ttctgcaaca tggaaaccgg tgagacctgt gtatacccca 4020 ctcagcccag cgtggcccag aagaactggt atatcagcaa gaaccccaag gaaaagaggc 4080 acgtctggta cggcgagagc atgaccggcg gattccagtt cgagtatggc ggccaggggt 4140 ccgatcctgc cgatgtggcc atccagctga ctttcctgcg cctgatgtcc accgaggcct 4200 cccagaacat cacctaccac tgcaagaaca gcgtggccta catggaccag cagactggca 4260 acctcaagaa ggccctgctc ctccagggct ccaacgagat cgagatccgg gccgagggca 4320 acagccgctt cacctacagc gtcacctacg atggctgcac gagtcacacc ggagcctggg 4380 gcaagacagt gatcgaatac aaaaccacca agacctcccg cttgcccatc atcgatgtgg 4440 cccccttgga cgttggcgcc ccagaccagg aattcggttt cgacgttggc cctgcctgct 4500 tcctgtaaac tccttccacc ccaacctggc tccctcccac ccaacccact tgcccctgac 4560 tctggaaaca gacaaacaac ccaaactgaa acccccgaaa agccaaaaaa tgggagacaa 4620 tttcacatgg actttggaaa atattttttt cctttgcatt catctctcaa acttagtttt 4680 tatctttgac caactgaaca tgaccaaaaa ccaaaagtgc attcaacctt accaaaaaaa 4740 aaaaaaaa 4748 2 1463 PRT Bos Taurus 2 Met Phe Ser Phe Val Asp Leu Arg Leu Leu Leu Leu Leu Ala Ala Thr 1 5 10 15 Ala Leu Leu Thr His Gly Gln Glu Glu Gly Gln Glu Glu Gly Gln Glu 20 25 30 Glu Asp Ile Pro Pro Val Thr Cys Val Gln Asn Gly Leu Arg Tyr His 35 40 45 Asp Arg Asp Val Trp Lys Pro Val Pro Cys Gln Ile Cys Val Cys Asp 50 55 60 Asn Gly Asn Val Leu Cys Asp Asp Val Ile Cys Asp Glu Leu Lys Asp 65 70 75 80 Cys Pro Asn Ala Lys Val Pro Thr Asp Glu Cys Cys Pro Val Cys Pro 85 90 95 Glu Gly Gln Glu Ser Pro Thr Asp Gln Glu Thr Thr Gly Val Glu Gly 100 105 110 Pro Lys Gly Asp Thr Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro 115 120 125 Pro Gly Arg Asp Gly Ile Pro Gly Gln Pro Gly Leu Pro Gly Pro Pro 130 135 140 Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Leu Gly Gly Asn Phe Ala 145 150 155 160 Pro Gln Leu Ser Tyr Gly Tyr Asp Glu Lys Ser Thr Gly Ile Ser Val 165 170 175 Pro Gly Pro Met Gly Pro Ser Gly Pro Arg Gly Leu Pro Gly Pro Pro 180 185 190 Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Phe Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Glu Pro Gly 195 200 205 Glu Pro Gly Ala Ser Gly Pro Met Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro 210 215 220 Pro Gly Lys Asn Gly Asp Asp Gly Glu Ala Gly Lys Pro Gly Arg Pro 225 230 235 240 Gly Glu Arg Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Ala Arg Gly Leu Pro Gly 245 250 255 Thr Ala Gly Leu Pro Gly Met Lys Gly His Arg Gly Phe Ser Gly Leu 260 265 270 Asp Gly Ala Lys Gly Asp Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Lys Gly Glu Pro 275 280 285 Gly Ser Pro Gly Glu Asn Gly Ala Pro Gly Gln Met Gly Pro Arg Gly 290 295 300 Leu Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Arg Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala 305 310 315 320 Arg Gly Asn Asp Gly Ala Thr Gly Ala Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Thr 325 330 335 Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Phe Pro Gly Ala Val Gly Ala Lys Gly 340 345 350 Glu Gly Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Arg Gly Ser Glu Gly Pro Gln Gly Val 355 360 365 Arg Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala Ala Gly Pro Ala 370 375 380 Gly Asn Pro Gly Ala Asp Gly Gln Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly Ala Asn Gly 385 390 395 400 Ala Pro Gly Ile Ala Gly Ala Pro Gly Phe Pro Gly Ala Arg Gly Pro 405 410 415 Ser Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Ser Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Asn Ser 420 425 430 Gly Glu Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Ser Lys Gly Asp Thr Gly Ala Lys Gly 435 440 445 Glu Pro Gly Pro Thr Gly Ile Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Glu 450 455 460 Glu Gly Lys Arg Gly Ala Arg Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Leu Pro 465 470 475 480 Gly Pro Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Gly Pro Gly Ser Arg Gly Phe Pro Gly 485 490 495 Ala Asp Gly Val Ala Gly Pro Lys Gly Pro Ala Gly Glu Arg Gly Ala 500 505 510 Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Lys Gly Ser Pro Gly Glu Ala Gly Arg Pro 515 520 525 Gly Glu Ala Gly Leu Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly Leu Thr Gly Ser Pro Gly 530 535 540 Ser Pro Gly Pro Asp Gly Lys Thr Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Gln 545 550 555 560 Asp Gly Arg Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Arg Gly Gln Ala 565 570 575 Gly Val Met Gly Phe Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Ala Ala Gly Glu Pro Gly 580 585 590 Lys Ala Gly Glu Arg Gly Val Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Val Gly Pro 595 600 605 Ala Gly Lys Asp Gly Glu Ala Gly Ala Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala 610 615 620 Gly Pro Ala Gly Glu Arg Gly Glu Gln Gly Pro Ala Gly Ser Pro Gly 625 630 635 640 Phe Gln Gly Leu Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Glu Ala Gly Lys 645 650 655 Pro Gly Glu Gln Gly Val Pro Gly Asp Leu Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Ser 660 665 670 Gly Ala Arg Gly Glu Arg Gly Phe Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Val Gln Gly 675 680 685 Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Ala Asn Gly Ala Pro Gly Asn 690 695 700 Asp Gly Ala Lys Gly Asp Ala Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Ser Gln 705 710 715 720 Gly Ala Pro Gly Leu Gln Gly Met Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Ala Ala Gly 725 730 735 Leu Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Asp Arg Gly Asp Ala Gly Pro Lys Gly Ala 740 745 750 Asp Gly Ala Pro Gly Lys Asp Gly Val Arg Gly Leu Thr Gly Pro Ile 755 760 765 Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala Pro Gly Asp Lys Gly Glu Ala Gly 770 775 780 Pro Ser Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Thr Gly Ala Arg Gly Ala Pro Gly Asp 785 790 795 800 Arg Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Phe Ala Gly Pro Pro 805 810 815 Gly Ala Asp Gly Gln Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly Glu Pro Gly Asp Ala Gly 820 825 830 Ala Lys Gly Asp Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro 835 840 845 Pro Gly Pro Ile Gly Asn Val Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Ala Arg 850 855 860 Gly Ser Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Thr Gly Phe Pro Gly Ala Ala Gly 865 870 875 880 Arg Val Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ser Gly Asn Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro 885 890 895 Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys Glu Gly Ser Lys Gly Pro Arg Gly Glu Thr 900 905 910 Gly Pro Ala Gly Arg Pro Gly Glu Val Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly 915 920 925 Pro Ala Gly Glu Lys Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala Asp Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala 930 935 940 Pro Gly Thr Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Ile Ala Gly Gln Arg Gly Val Val 945 950 955 960 Gly Leu Pro Gly Gln Arg Gly Glu Arg Gly Phe Pro Gly Leu Pro Gly 965 970 975 Pro Ser Gly Glu Pro Gly Lys Gln Gly Pro Ser Gly Ala Ser Gly Glu 980 985 990 Arg Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Met Gly Pro Pro Gly Leu Ala Gly Pro Pro 995 1000 1005 Gly Glu Ser Gly Arg Glu Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala Glu Gly Ser Pro 1010 1015 1020 Gly Arg Asp Gly Ser Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly Asp Arg Gly Glu Thr 1025 1030 1035 Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala Pro 1040 1045 1050 Gly Pro Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys Ser Gly Asp Arg Gly Glu Thr 1055 1060 1065 Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Ile Gly Pro Val Gly Ala Arg 1070 1075 1080 Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Arg Gly Asp Lys Gly Glu Thr 1085 1090 1095 Gly Glu Gln Gly Asp Arg Gly Ile Lys Gly His Arg Gly Phe Ser 1100 1105 1110 Gly Leu Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Glu Gln 1115 1120 1125 Gly Pro Ser Gly Ala Ser Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro Pro 1130 1135 1140 Gly Ser Ala Gly Ser Pro Gly Lys Asp Gly Leu Asn Gly Leu Pro 1145 1150 1155 Gly Pro Ile Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Arg Gly Arg Thr Gly Asp Ala 1160 1165 1170 Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro 1175 1180 1185 Gly Pro Pro Ser Gly Gly Tyr Asp Leu Ser Phe Leu Pro Gln Pro 1190 1195 1200 Pro Gln Glu Lys Ala His Asp Gly Gly Arg Tyr Tyr Arg Ala Asp 1205 1210 1215 Asp Ala Asn Val Val Arg Asp Arg Asp Leu Glu Val Asp Thr Thr 1220 1225 1230 Leu Lys Ser Leu Ser Gln Gln Ile Glu Asn Ile Arg Ser Pro Glu 1235 1240 1245 Gly Ser Arg Lys Asn Pro Ala Arg Thr Cys Arg Asp Leu Lys Met 1250 1255 1260 Cys His Ser Asp Trp Lys Ser Gly Glu Tyr Trp Ile Asp Pro Asn 1265 1270 1275 Gln Gly Cys Asn Leu Asp Ala Ile Lys Val Phe Cys Asn Met Glu 1280 1285 1290 Thr Gly Glu Thr Cys Val Tyr Pro Thr Gln Pro Ser Val Ala Gln 1295 1300 1305 Lys Asn Trp Tyr Ile Ser Lys Asn Pro Lys Glu Lys Arg His Val 1310 1315 1320 Trp Tyr Gly Glu Ser Met Thr Gly Gly Phe Gln Phe Glu Tyr Gly 1325 1330 1335 Gly Gln Gly Ser Asp Pro Ala Asp Val Ala Ile Gln Leu Thr Phe 1340 1345 1350 Leu Arg Leu Met Ser Thr Glu Ala Ser Gln Asn Ile Thr Tyr His 1355 1360 1365 Cys Lys Asn Ser Val Ala Tyr Met Asp Gln Gln Thr Gly Asn Leu 1370 1375 1380 Lys Lys Ala Leu Leu Leu Gln Gly Ser Asn Glu Ile Glu Ile Arg 1385 1390 1395 Ala Glu Gly Asn Ser Arg Phe Thr Tyr Ser Val Thr Tyr Asp Gly 1400 1405 1410 Cys Thr Ser His Thr Gly Ala Trp Gly Lys Thr Val Ile Glu Tyr 1415 1420 1425 Lys Thr Thr Lys Thr Ser Arg Leu Pro Ile Ile Asp Val Ala Pro 1430 1435 1440 Leu Asp Val Gly Ala Pro Asp Gln Glu Phe Gly Phe Asp Val Gly 1445 1450 1455 Pro Ala Cys Phe Leu 1460 3 4428 DNA Bos Taurus 3 gaattcaggg acatgatgag ctttgtgcaa aaggggacct ggttactttt cgctctgctt 60 catcccactg ttattttggc acaacaggaa gctgttgacg gaggatgctc ccatctcggt 120 cagtcttatg cagatagaga tgtatggaaa ccagaaccgt gccaaatatg cgtctgtgac 180 tcaggatccg ttctctgtga tgacataata tgtgacgacc aagaattaga ctgccccaac 240 cctgaaatcc cgtttggaga atgttgtgca gtttgcccac agcctccaac agctcccact 300 cgccctccta atggtcaagg acctcaaggc cccaagggag atccaggtcc tcctggtatt 360 cctgggcgaa atggcgatcc tggtcctcca ggatcaccag gctccccagg ttctcccggc 420 cctcctggaa tctgtgaatc atgtcctact ggtggccaga actattctcc ccagtacgaa 480 gcatatgatg tcaagtctgg agtagcagga ggaggaatcg caggctatcc tgggccagct 540 ggtcctcctg gcccacccgg accccctggc acatctggcc atcctggtgc ccctggcgct 600 ccaggatacc aaggtccccc cggtgaacct gggcaagctg gtccggcagg tcctccagga 660 cctcctggtg ctataggtcc atctggccct gctggaaaag atggggaatc aggaagaccc 720 ggacgacctg gagagcgagg atttcctggc cctcctggta tgaaaggccc agctggtatg 780 cctggattcc ctggtatgaa aggacacaga ggctttgatg gacgaaatgg agagaaaggc 840 gaaactggtg ctcctggatt aaagggggaa aatggcgttc caggtgaaaa tggagctcct 900 ggacccatgg gtccaagagg ggctcccggt gagagaggac ggccaggact tcctggagcc 960 gcaggggctc gaggtaatga tggagctcga ggaagtgatg gacaaccggg cccccctggt 1020 cctcctggaa ctgcaggatt ccctggttcc cctggtgcta agggtgaagt tggacctgca 1080 ggatctcctg gttcaagtgg cgcccctgga caaagaggag aacctggacc tcagggacat 1140 gctggtgctc caggtccccc tgggcctcct gggagtaatg gtagtcctgg tggcaaaggt 1200 gaaatgggtc ctgctggcat tcctggggct cctgggctga taggagctcg tggtcctcca 1260 gggccacctg gcaccaatgg tgttcccggg caacgaggtg ctgcaggtga acccggtaag 1320 aatggagcca aaggagaccc aggaccacgt ggggaacgcg gagaagctgg ttctccaggt 1380 atcgcaggac ctaagggtga agatggcaaa gatggttctc ctggagaacc tggtgcaaat 1440 ggacttcctg gagctgcagg agaaaggggt gtgcctggat tccgaggacc tgctggagca 1500 aatggccttc caggagaaaa gggtcctcct ggggaccgtg gtggcccagg ccctgcaggg 1560 cccagaggtg ttgctggaga gcccggcaga gatggtctcc ctggaggtcc aggattgagg 1620 ggtattcctg gtagcccggg aggaccaggc agtgatggga aaccagggcc tcctggaagc 1680 caaggagaga cgggtcgacc cggtcctcca ggttcacctg gtccgcgagg ccagcctggt 1740 gtcatgggct tccctggtcc caaaggaaac gatggtgctc ctggaaaaaa tggagaacga 1800 ggtggccctg gaggtcctgg ccctcagggt cctgctggaa agaatggtga gaccggacct 1860 cagggtcctc caggacctac tggcccttct ggtgacaaag gagacacagg accccctggt 1920 ccacaaggac tacaaggctt gcctggaacg agtggtcccc caggagaaaa cggaaaacct 1980 ggtgaacctg gtccaaaggg tgaggctggt gcacctggaa ttccaggagg caagggtgat 2040 tctggtgctc ccggtgaacg cggacctcct ggagcaggag ggccccctgg acctagaggt 2100 ggagctggcc cccctggtcc cgaaggagga aagggtgctg ctggtccccc tgggccacct 2160 ggttctgctg gtacacctgg tctgcaagga atgcctggag aaagaggggg tcctggaggc 2220 cctggtccaa agggtgataa gggtgagcct ggcagctcag gtgtcgatgg tgctccaggg 2280 aaagatggtc cacggggtcc cactggtccc attggtcctc ctggcccagc tggtcagcct 2340 ggagataagg gtgaaagtgg tgcccctgga gttccgggta tagctggtcc tcgcggtggc 2400 cctggtgaga gaggcgaaca ggggccccca ggacctgctg gcttccctgg tgctcctggc 2460 cagaatggtg agcctggtgc taaaggagaa agaggcgctc ctggtgagaa aggtgaagga 2520 ggccctcccg gagccgcagg acccgccgga ggttctgggc ctgccggtcc cccaggcccc 2580 caaggtgtca aaggcgaacg tggcagtcct ggtggtcctg gtgctgctgg cttccccggt 2640 ggtcgtggtc ctcctggccc tcctggcagt aatggtaacc caggcccccc aggctccagt 2700 ggtgctccag gcaaagatgg tcccccaggt ccacctggca gtaatggtgc tcctggcagc 2760 cccgggatct ctggaccaaa gggtgattct ggtccaccag gtgagagggg agcacctggc 2820 ccccaggggc ctccgggagc tccaggccca ctaggaattg caggacttac tggagcacga 2880 ggtcttgcag gcccaccagg catgccaggt gctaggggca gccccggccc acagggcatc 2940 aagggtgaaa atggtaaacc aggacctagt ggtcagaatg gagaacgtgg tcctcctggc 3000 ccccagggtc ttcctggtct ggctggtaca gctggtgagc ctggaagaga tggaaaccct 3060 ggatcagatg gtctgccagg ccgagatgga gcgccaggtg ccaagggtga ccgtggtgaa 3120 aatggctctc ctggtgcccc tggagctcct ggtcacccag gccctcctgg tcctgtcggt 3180 ccagctggaa agagcggtga cagaggagaa actggccctg ctggtccttc tggggccccc 3240 ggtcctgccg gatcaagagg tcctcctggt ccccaaggcc cacgcggtga caaaggggaa 3300 accggtgagc gtggtgctat gggcatcaaa ggacatcgcg gattccctgg caacccaggg 3360 gcccccggat ctccgggtcc cgctggtcat caaggtgcag ttggcagtcc aggccctgca 3420 ggccccagag gacctgttgg acctagcggg ccccctggaa aggacggagc aagtggacac 3480 cctggtccca ttggaccacc ggggccccga ggtaacagag gtgaaagagg atctgagggc 3540 tccccaggcc acccaggaca accaggccct cctggacctc ctggtgcccc tggtccatgt 3600 tgtggtgctg gcggggttgc tgccattgct ggtgttggag ccgaaaaagc tggtggtttt 3660 gccccatatt atggagatga accgatagat ttcaaaatca ataccgatga gattatgacc 3720 tcactcaaat cagtcaatgg acaaatagaa agcctcatta gtcctgatgg ttcccgtaaa 3780 aaccctgcac ggaactgcag ggacctgaaa ttctgccatc ctgaactcca gagtggagaa 3840 tattgggttg atcctaacca aggttgcaaa ttggatgcta ttaaagtcta ctgtaacatg 3900 gaaactgggg aaacgtgcat aagtgccagt cctttgacta tcccacagaa gaactggtgg 3960 acagattctg gtgctgagaa gaaacatgtt tggtttggag aatccatgga gggtggtttt 4020 cagtttagct atggcaatcc tgaacttccc gaagacgtcc tcgatgtcca gctggcattc 4080 ctccgacttc tctccagccg ggcctctcag aacatcacat atcactgcaa gaatagcatt 4140 gcatacatgg atcatgccag tgggaatgta aagaaagcct tgaagctgat ggggtcaaat 4200 gaaggtgaat tcaaggctga aggaaatagc aaattcacat acacagttct ggaggatggt 4260 tgcacaaaac acactgggga atggggcaaa acagtcttcc agtatcaaac acgcaaggcc 4320 gtcagactac ctattgtaga tattgcaccc tatgatatcg gtggtcctga tcaagaattt 4380 ggtgcggaca ttggccctgt ttgcttttta taaaccaaac ctgaattc 4428 4 1466 PRT Bos Taurus 4 Met Met Ser Phe Val Gln Lys Gly Thr Trp Leu Leu Phe Ala Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 His Pro Thr Val Ile Leu Ala Gln Gln Glu Ala Val Asp Gly Gly Cys 20 25 30 Ser His Leu Gly Gln Ser Tyr Ala Asp Arg Asp Val Trp Lys Pro Glu 35 40 45 Pro Cys Gln Ile Cys Val Cys Asp Ser Gly Ser Val Leu Cys Asp Asp 50 55 60 Ile Ile Cys Asp Asp Gln Glu Leu Asp Cys Pro Asn Pro Glu Ile Pro 65 70 75 80 Phe Gly Glu Cys Cys Ala Val Cys Pro Gln Pro Pro Thr Ala Pro Thr 85 90 95 Arg Pro Pro Asn Gly Gln Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Lys Gly Asp Pro Gly 100 105 110 Pro Pro Gly Ile Pro Gly Arg Asn Gly Asp Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser 115 120 125 Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ile Cys Glu Ser Cys 130 135 140 Pro Thr Gly Gly Gln Asn Tyr Ser Pro Gln Tyr Glu Ala Tyr Asp Val 145 150 155 160 Lys Ser Gly Val Ala Gly Gly Gly Ile Ala Gly Tyr Pro Gly Pro Ala 165 170 175 Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Thr Ser Gly His Pro Gly 180 185 190 Ala Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Tyr Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Glu Pro Gly Gln 195 200 205 Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Ile Gly Pro Ser 210 215 220 Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys Asp Gly Glu Ser Gly Arg Pro Gly Arg Pro Gly 225 230 235 240 Glu Arg Gly Phe Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Met Lys Gly Pro Ala Gly Met 245 250 255 Pro Gly Phe Pro Gly Met Lys Gly His Arg Gly Phe Asp Gly Arg Asn 260 265 270 Gly Glu Lys Gly Glu Thr Gly Ala Pro Gly Leu Lys Gly Glu Asn Gly 275 280 285 Val Pro Gly Glu Asn Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Met Gly Pro Arg Gly Ala 290 295 300 Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Arg Pro Gly Leu Pro Gly Ala Ala Gly Ala Arg 305 310 315 320 Gly Asn Asp Gly Ala Arg Gly Ser Asp Gly Gln Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly 325 330 335 Pro Pro Gly Thr Ala Gly Phe Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly Glu 340 345 350 Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Ser Pro Gly Ser Ser Gly Ala Pro Gly Gln Arg 355 360 365 Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly His Ala Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly 370 375 380 Pro Pro Gly Ser Asn Gly Ser Pro Gly Gly Lys Gly Glu Met Gly Pro 385 390 395 400 Ala Gly Ile Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Leu Ile Gly Ala Arg Gly Pro Pro 405 410 415 Gly Pro Pro Gly Thr Asn Gly Val Pro Gly Gln Arg Gly Ala Ala Gly 420 425 430 Glu Pro Gly Lys Asn Gly Ala Lys Gly Asp Pro Gly Pro Arg Gly Glu 435 440 445 Arg Gly Glu Ala Gly Ser Pro Gly Ile Ala Gly Pro Lys Gly Glu Asp 450 455 460 Gly Lys Asp Gly Ser Pro Gly Glu Pro Gly Ala Asn Gly Leu Pro Gly 465 470 475 480 Ala Ala Gly Glu Arg Gly Val Pro Gly Phe Arg Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala 485 490 495 Asn Gly Leu Pro Gly Glu Lys Gly Pro Pro Gly Asp Arg Gly Gly Pro 500 505 510 Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Val Ala Gly Glu Pro Gly Arg Asp Gly 515 520 525 Leu Pro Gly Gly Pro Gly Leu Arg Gly Ile Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Gly 530 535 540 Pro Gly Ser Asp Gly Lys Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Gln Gly Glu Thr 545 550 555 560 Gly Arg Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Arg Gly Gln Pro Gly 565 570 575 Val Met Gly Phe Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Asn Asp Gly Ala Pro Gly Lys 580 585 590 Asn Gly Glu Arg Gly Gly Pro Gly Gly Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Ala 595 600 605 Gly Lys Asn Gly Glu Thr Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Thr Gly 610 615 620 Pro Ser Gly Asp Lys Gly Asp Thr Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Leu 625 630 635 640 Gln Gly Leu Pro Gly Thr Ser Gly Pro Pro Gly Glu Asn Gly Lys Pro 645 650 655 Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Glu Ala Gly Ala Pro Gly Ile Pro Gly 660 665 670 Gly Lys Gly Asp Ser Gly Ala Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala 675 680 685 Gly Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Arg Gly Gly Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Glu 690 695 700 Gly Gly Lys Gly Ala Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Ala Gly 705 710 715 720 Thr Pro Gly Leu Gln Gly Met Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Gly Pro Gly Gly 725 730 735 Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Asp Lys Gly Glu Pro Gly Ser Ser Gly Val Asp 740 745 750 Gly Ala Pro Gly Lys Asp Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro Thr Gly Pro Ile Gly 755 760 765 Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Gln Pro Gly Asp Lys Gly Glu Ser Gly Ala 770 775 780 Pro Gly Val Pro Gly Ile Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Gly Pro Gly Glu Arg 785 790 795 800 Gly Glu Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Phe Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly 805 810 815 Gln Asn Gly Glu Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly Glu Arg Gly Ala Pro Gly Glu 820 825 830 Lys Gly Glu Gly Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Gly Ser 835 840 845 Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Val Lys Gly Glu Arg Gly 850 855 860 Ser Pro Gly Gly Pro Gly Ala Ala Gly Phe Pro Gly Gly Arg Gly Pro 865 870 875 880 Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Asn Gly Asn Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Ser 885 890 895 Gly Ala Pro Gly Lys Asp Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Asn Gly 900 905 910 Ala Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Ile Ser Gly Pro Lys Gly Asp Ser Gly Pro 915 920 925 Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Pro 930 935 940 Gly Pro Leu Gly Ile Ala Gly Leu Thr Gly Ala Arg Gly Leu Ala Gly 945 950 955 960 Pro Pro Gly Met Pro Gly Ala Arg Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Ile 965 970 975 Lys Gly Glu Asn Gly Lys Pro Gly Pro Ser Gly Gln Asn Gly Glu Arg 980 985 990 Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Leu Pro Gly Leu Ala Gly Thr Ala Gly 995 1000 1005 Glu Pro Gly Arg Asp Gly Asn Pro Gly Ser Asp Gly Leu Pro Gly 1010 1015 1020 Arg Asp Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly Asp Arg Gly Glu Asn Gly 1025 1030 1035 Ser Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly His Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly 1040 1045 1050 Pro Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys Ser Gly Asp Arg Gly Glu Thr Gly 1055 1060 1065 Pro Ala Gly Pro Ser Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Ser Arg Gly 1070 1075 1080 Pro Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Arg Gly Asp Lys Gly Glu Thr Gly 1085 1090 1095 Glu Arg Gly Ala Met Gly Ile Lys Gly His Arg Gly Phe Pro Gly 1100 1105 1110 Asn Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly His Gln Gly 1115 1120 1125 Ala Val Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro Val Gly 1130 1135 1140 Pro Ser Gly Pro Pro Gly Lys Asp Gly Ala Ser Gly His Pro Gly 1145 1150 1155 Pro Ile Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Arg Gly Asn Arg Gly Glu Arg Gly 1160 1165 1170 Ser Glu Gly Ser Pro Gly His Pro Gly Gln Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly 1175 1180 1185 Pro Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Cys Cys Gly Ala Gly Gly Val Ala 1190 1195 1200 Ala Ile Ala Gly Val Gly Ala Glu Lys Ala Gly Gly Phe Ala Pro 1205 1210 1215 Tyr Tyr Gly Asp Glu Pro Ile Asp Phe Lys Ile Asn Thr Asp Glu 1220 1225 1230 Ile Met Thr Ser Leu Lys Ser Val Asn Gly Gln Ile Glu Ser Leu 1235 1240 1245 Ile Ser Pro Asp Gly Ser Arg Lys Asn Pro Ala Arg Asn Cys Arg 1250 1255 1260 Asp Leu Lys Phe Cys His Pro Glu Leu Gln Ser Gly Glu Tyr Trp 1265 1270 1275 Val Asp Pro Asn Gln Gly Cys Lys Leu Asp Ala Ile Lys Val Tyr 1280 1285 1290 Cys Asn Met Glu Thr Gly Glu Thr Cys Ile Ser Ala Ser Pro Leu 1295 1300 1305 Thr Ile Pro Gln Lys Asn Trp Trp Thr Asp Ser Gly Ala Glu Lys 1310 1315 1320 Lys His Val Trp Phe Gly Glu Ser Met Glu Gly Gly Phe Gln Phe 1325 1330 1335 Ser Tyr Gly Asn Pro Glu Leu Pro Glu Asp Val Leu Asp Val Gln 1340 1345 1350 Leu Ala Phe Leu Arg Leu Leu Ser Ser Arg Ala Ser Gln Asn Ile 1355 1360 1365 Thr Tyr His Cys Lys Asn Ser Ile Ala Tyr Met Asp His Ala Ser 1370 1375 1380 Gly Asn Val Lys Lys Ala Leu Lys Leu Met Gly Ser Asn Glu Gly 1385 1390 1395 Glu Phe Lys Ala Glu Gly Asn Ser Lys Phe Thr Tyr Thr Val Leu 1400 1405 1410 Glu Asp Gly Cys Thr Lys His Thr Gly Glu Trp Gly Lys Thr Val 1415 1420 1425 Phe Gln Tyr Gln Thr Arg Lys Ala Val Arg Leu Pro Ile Val Asp 1430 1435 1440 Ile Ala Pro Tyr Asp Ile Gly Gly Pro Asp Gln Glu Phe Gly Ala 1445 1450 1455 Asp Ile Gly Pro Val Cys Phe Leu 1460 1465 5 4428 DNA Bos Taurus 5 gaattcaggg acatgatgag ctttgtgcaa aaggggacct ggttactttt cgctctgctt 60 catcccactg ttattttggc acaacaggaa gctgttgacg gaggatgctc ccatctcggt 120 cagtcttatg cagatagaga tgtatggaaa ccagaaccgt gccaaatatg cgtctgtgac 180 tcaggatccg ttctctgtga tgacataata tgtgacgacc aagaattaga ctgccccaac 240 cctgaaatcc cgtttggaga atgttgtgca gtttgcccac agcctccaac agctcccact 300 cgccctccta atggtcaagg acctcaaggc cccaagggag atccaggtcc tcctggtatt 360 cctgggcgaa atggcgatcc tggtcctcca ggatcaccag gctccccagg ttctcccggc 420 cctcctggaa tctgtgaatc atgtcctact ggtggccaga actattctcc ccagtacgaa 480 gcatatgatg tcaagtctgg agtagcagga ggaggaatcg caggctatcc tgggccagct 540 ggtcctcctg gcccacccgg accccctggc acatctggcc atcctggtgc ccctggcgct 600 ccaggatacc aaggtccccc cggtgaacct gggcaagctg gtccggcagg tcctccagga 660 cctcctggtg ctataggtcc atctggccct gctggaaaag atggggaatc aggaagaccc 720 ggacgacctg gagagcgagg atttcctggc cctcctggta tgaaaggccc agctggtatg 780 cctggattcc ctggtatgaa aggacacaga ggctttgatg gacgaaatgg agagaaaggc 840 gaaactggtg ctcctggatt aaagggggaa aatggcgttc caggtgaaaa tggagctcct 900 ggacccatgg gtccaagagg ggctcccggt gagagaggac ggccaggact tcctggagcc 960 gcaggggctc gaggtaatga tggagctcga ggaagtgatg gacaaccggg cccccctggt 1020 cctcctggaa ctgcaggatt ccctggttcc cctggtgcta agggtgaagt tggacctgca 1080 ggatctcctg gttcaagtgg cgcccctgga caaagaggag aacctggacc tcagggacat 1140 gctggtgctc caggtccccc tgggcctcct gggagtaatg gtagtcctgg tggcaaaggt 1200 gaaatgggtc ctgctggcat tcctggggct cctgggctga taggagctcg tggtcctcca 1260 gggccacctg gcaccaatgg tgttcccggg caacgaggtg ctgcaggtga acccggtaag 1320 aatggagcca aaggagaccc aggaccacgt ggggaacgcg gagaagctgg ttctccaggt 1380 atcgcaggac ctaagggtga agatggcaaa gatggttctc ctggagaacc tggtgcaaat 1440 ggacttcctg gagctgcagg agaaaggggt gtgcctggat tccgaggacc tgctggagca 1500 aatggccttc caggagaaaa gggtcctcct ggggaccgtg gtggcccagg ccctgcaggg 1560 cccagaggtg ttgctggaga gcccggcaga gatggtctcc ctggaggtcc aggattgagg 1620 ggtattcctg gtagcccggg aggaccaggc agtgatggga aaccagggcc tcctggaagc 1680 caaggagaga cgggtcgacc cggtcctcca ggttcacctg gtccgcgagg ccagcctggt 1740 gtcatgggct tccctggtcc caaaggaaac gatggtgctc ctggaaaaaa tggagaacga 1800 ggtggccctg gaggtcctgg ccctcagggt cctgctggaa agaatggtga gaccggacct 1860 cagggtcctc caggacctac tggcccttct ggtgacaaag gagacacagg accccctggt 1920 ccacaaggac tacaaggctt gcctggaacg agtggtcccc caggagaaaa cggaaaacct 1980 ggtgaacctg gtccaaaggg tgaggctggt gcacctggaa ttccaggagg caagggtgat 2040 tctggtgctc ccggtgaacg cggacctcct ggagcaggag ggccccctgg acctagaggt 2100 ggagctggcc cccctggtcc cgaaggagga aagggtgctg ctggtccccc tgggccacct 2160 ggttctgctg gtacacctgg tctgcaagga atgcctggag aaagaggggg tcctggaggc 2220 cctggtccaa agggtgataa gggtgagcct ggcagctcag gtgtcgatgg tgctccaggg 2280 aaagatggtc cacggggtcc cactggtccc attggtcctc ctggcccagc tggtcagcct 2340 ggagataagg gtgaaagtgg tgcccctgga gttccgggta tagctggtcc tcgcggtggc 2400 cctggtgaga gaggcgaaca ggggccccca ggacctgctg gcttccctgg tgctcctggc 2460 cagaatggtg agcctggtgc taaaggagaa agaggcgctc ctggtgagaa aggtgaagga 2520 ggccctcccg gagccgcagg acccgccgga ggttctgggc ctgccggtcc cccaggcccc 2580 caaggtgtca aaggcgaacg tggcagtcct ggtggtcctg gtgctgctgg cttccccggt 2640 ggtcgtggtc ctcctggccc tcctggcagt aatggtaacc caggcccccc aggctccagt 2700 ggtgctccag gcaaagatgg tcccccaggt ccacctggca gtaatggtgc tcctggcagc 2760 cccgggatct ctggaccaaa gggtgattct ggtccaccag gtgagagggg agcacctggc 2820 ccccaggggc ctccgggagc tccaggccca ctaggaattg caggacttac tggagcacga 2880 ggtcttgcag gcccaccagg catgccaggt gctaggggca gccccggccc acagggcatc 2940 aagggtgaaa atggtaaacc aggacctagt ggtcagaatg gagaacgtgg tcctcctggc 3000 ccccagggtc ttcctggtct ggctggtaca gctggtgagc ctggaagaga tggaaaccct 3060 ggatcagatg gtctgccagg ccgagatgga gcgccaggtg ccaagggtga ccgtggtgaa 3120 aatggctctc ctggtgcccc tggagctcct ggtcacccag gccctcctgg tcctgtcggt 3180 ccagctggaa agagcggtga cagaggagaa actggccctg ctggtccttc tggggccccc 3240 ggtcctgccg gatcaagagg tcctcctggt ccccaaggcc cacgcggtga caaaggggaa 3300 accggtgagc gtggtgctat gggcatcaaa ggacatcgcg gattccctgg caacccaggg 3360 gcccccggat ctccgggtcc cgctggtcat caaggtgcag ttggcagtcc aggccctgca 3420 ggccccagag gacctgttgg acctagcggg ccccctggaa aggacggagc aagtggacac 3480 cctggtccca ttggaccacc ggggccccga ggtaacagag gtgaaagagg atctgagggc 3540 tccccaggcc acccaggaca accaggccct cctggacctc ctggtgcccc tggtccatgt 3600 tgtggtgctg gcggggttgc tgccattgct ggtgttggag ccgaaaaagc tggtggtttt 3660 gccccatatt atggagatga accgatagat ttcaaaatca acaccaatga gattatgacc 3720 tcactcaaat cagtcaatgg acaaatagaa agcctcatta gtcctgatgg ttcccgtaaa 3780 aaccctgcac ggaactgcag ggacctgaaa ttctgccatc ctgaactcca gagtggagaa 3840 tattgggttg atcctaacca aggttgcaaa ttggatgcta ttaaagtcta ctgtaacatg 3900 gaaactgggg aaacgtgcat aagtgccagt cctttgacta tcccacagaa gaactggtgg 3960 acagattctg gtgctgagaa gaaacatgtt tggtttggag aatccatgga gggtggtttt 4020 cagtttagct atggcaatcc tgaacttccc gaagacgtcc tcgatgtcca gctggcattc 4080 ctccgacttc tctccagccg ggcctctcag aacatcacat atcactgcaa gaatagcatt 4140 gcatacatgg atcatgtcag tgggaatgta aagaaagcct tgaagctgat ggggtcaaat 4200 gaaggtgaat tcaaggctga aggaaatagc aaattcacat acacagttct ggaggatggt 4260 tgcacaaaac acactgggga atggggcaaa acagtcttcc agtatcaaac acgcaaggcc 4320 gtcagactac ctattgtaga tattgcaccc tatgatatcg gtggtcctga tcaagaattt 4380 ggtgcggaca ttggccctgt ttgcttttta taaaccaaac ctgaattc 4428 6 1466 PRT Sus scrofa 6 Met Met Ser Phe Val Gln Lys Gly Thr Trp Leu Leu Phe Ala Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 His Pro Thr Val Ile Leu Ala Gln Gln Glu Ala Val Asp Gly Gly Cys 20 25 30 Ser His Leu Gly Gln Ser Tyr Ala Asp Arg Asp Val Trp Lys Pro Glu 35 40 45 Pro Cys Gln Ile Cys Val Cys Asp Ser Gly Ser Val Leu Cys Asp Asp 50 55 60 Ile Ile Cys Asp Asp Gln Glu Leu Asp Cys Pro Asn Pro Glu Ile Pro 65 70 75 80 Phe Gly Glu Cys Cys Ala Val Cys Pro Gln Pro Pro Thr Ala Pro Thr 85 90 95 Arg Pro Pro Asn Gly Gln Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Lys Gly Asp Pro Gly 100 105 110 Pro Pro Gly Ile Pro Gly Arg Asn Gly Asp Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser 115 120 125 Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ile Cys Glu Ser Cys 130 135 140 Pro Thr Gly Gly Gln Asn Tyr Ser Pro Gln Tyr Glu Ala Tyr Asp Val 145 150 155 160 Lys Ser Gly Val Ala Gly Gly Gly Ile Ala Gly Tyr Pro Gly Pro Ala 165 170 175 Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Thr Ser Gly His Pro Gly 180 185 190 Ala Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Tyr Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Glu Pro Gly Gln 195 200 205 Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Ile Gly Pro Ser 210 215 220 Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys Asp Gly Glu Ser Gly Arg Pro Gly Arg Pro Gly 225 230 235 240 Glu Arg Gly Phe Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Met Lys Gly Pro Ala Gly Met 245 250 255 Pro Gly Phe Pro Gly Met Lys Gly His Arg Gly Phe Asp Gly Arg Asn 260 265 270 Gly Glu Lys Gly Glu Thr Gly Ala Pro Gly Leu Lys Gly Glu Asn Gly 275 280 285 Val Pro Gly Glu Asn Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Met Gly Pro Arg Gly Ala 290 295 300 Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Arg Pro Gly Leu Pro Gly Ala Ala Gly Ala Arg 305 310 315 320 Gly Asn Asp Gly Ala Arg Gly Ser Asp Gly Gln Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly 325 330 335 Pro Pro Gly Thr Ala Gly Phe Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly Glu 340 345 350 Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Ser Pro Gly Ser Ser Gly Ala Pro Gly Gln Arg 355 360 365 Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly His Ala Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly 370 375 380 Pro Pro Gly Ser Asn Gly Ser Pro Gly Gly Lys Gly Glu Met Gly Pro 385 390 395 400 Ala Gly Ile Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Leu Ile Gly Ala Arg Gly Pro Pro 405 410 415 Gly Pro Pro Gly Thr Asn Gly Val Pro Gly Gln Arg Gly Ala Ala Gly 420 425 430 Glu Pro Gly Lys Asn Gly Ala Lys Gly Asp Pro Gly Pro Arg Gly Glu 435 440 445 Arg Gly Glu Ala Gly Ser Pro Gly Ile Ala Gly Pro Lys Gly Glu Asp 450 455 460 Gly Lys Asp Gly Ser Pro Gly Glu Pro Gly Ala Asn Gly Leu Pro Gly 465 470 475 480 Ala Ala Gly Glu Arg Gly Val Pro Gly Phe Arg Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala 485 490 495 Asn Gly Leu Pro Gly Glu Lys Gly Pro Pro Gly Asp Arg Gly Gly Pro 500 505 510 Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Val Ala Gly Glu Pro Gly Arg Asp Gly 515 520 525 Leu Pro Gly Gly Pro Gly Leu Arg Gly Ile Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Gly 530 535 540 Pro Gly Ser Asp Gly Lys Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Gln Gly Glu Thr 545 550 555 560 Gly Arg Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Arg Gly Gln Pro Gly 565 570 575 Val Met Gly Phe Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Asn Asp Gly Ala Pro Gly Lys 580 585 590 Asn Gly Glu Arg Gly Gly Pro Gly Gly Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Ala 595 600 605 Gly Lys Asn Gly Glu Thr Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Thr Gly 610 615 620 Pro Ser Gly Asp Lys Gly Asp Thr Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Leu 625 630 635 640 Gln Gly Leu Pro Gly Thr Ser Gly Pro Pro Gly Glu Asn Gly Lys Pro 645 650 655 Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Glu Ala Gly Ala Pro Gly Ile Pro Gly 660 665 670 Gly Lys Gly Asp Ser Gly Ala Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala 675 680 685 Gly Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Arg Gly Gly Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Glu 690 695 700 Gly Gly Lys Gly Ala Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Ala Gly 705 710 715 720 Thr Pro Gly Leu Gln Gly Met Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Gly Pro Gly Gly 725 730 735 Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Asp Lys Gly Glu Pro Gly Ser Ser Gly Val Asp 740 745 750 Gly Ala Pro Gly Lys Asp Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro Thr Gly Pro Ile Gly 755 760 765 Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Gln Pro Gly Asp Lys Gly Glu Ser Gly Ala 770 775 780 Pro Gly Val Pro Gly Ile Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Gly Pro Gly Glu Arg 785 790 795 800 Gly Glu Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Phe Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly 805 810 815 Gln Asn Gly Glu Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly Glu Arg Gly Ala Pro Gly Glu 820 825 830 Lys Gly Glu Gly Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Gly Ser 835 840 845 Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Val Lys Gly Glu Arg Gly 850 855 860 Ser Pro Gly Gly Pro Gly Ala Ala Gly Phe Pro Gly Gly Arg Gly Pro 865 870 875 880 Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Asn Gly Asn Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Ser 885 890 895 Gly Ala Pro Gly Lys Asp Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Asn Gly 900 905 910 Ala Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Ile Ser Gly Pro Lys Gly Asp Ser Gly Pro 915 920 925 Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Pro 930 935 940 Gly Pro Leu Gly Ile Ala Gly Leu Thr Gly Ala Arg Gly Leu Ala Gly 945 950 955 960 Pro Pro Gly Met Pro Gly Ala Arg Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Ile 965 970 975 Lys Gly Glu Asn Gly Lys Pro Gly Pro Ser Gly Gln Asn Gly Glu Arg 980 985 990 Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Leu Pro Gly Leu Ala Gly Thr Ala Gly 995 1000 1005 Glu Pro Gly Arg Asp Gly Asn Pro Gly Ser Asp Gly Leu Pro Gly 1010 1015 1020 Arg Asp Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly Asp Arg Gly Glu Asn Gly 1025 1030 1035 Ser Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly His Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly 1040 1045 1050 Pro Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys Ser Gly Asp Arg Gly Glu Thr Gly 1055 1060 1065 Pro Ala Gly Pro Ser Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Ser Arg Gly 1070 1075 1080 Pro Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Arg Gly Asp Lys Gly Glu Thr Gly 1085 1090 1095 Glu Arg Gly Ala Met Gly Ile Lys Gly His Arg Gly Phe Pro Gly 1100 1105 1110 Asn Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly His Gln Gly 1115 1120 1125 Ala Val Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro Val Gly 1130 1135 1140 Pro Ser Gly Pro Pro Gly Lys Asp Gly Ala Ser Gly His Pro Gly 1145 1150 1155 Pro Ile Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Arg Gly Asn Arg Gly Glu Arg Gly 1160 1165 1170 Ser Glu Gly Ser Pro Gly His Pro Gly Gln Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly 1175 1180 1185 Pro Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Cys Cys Gly Ala Gly Gly Val Ala 1190 1195 1200 Ala Ile Ala Gly Val Gly Ala Glu Lys Ala Gly Gly Phe Ala Pro 1205 1210 1215 Tyr Tyr Gly Asp Glu Pro Ile Asp Phe Lys Ile Asn Thr Asn Glu 1220 1225 1230 Ile Met Thr Ser Leu Lys Ser Val Asn Gly Gln Ile Glu Ser Leu 1235 1240 1245 Ile Ser Pro Asp Gly Ser Arg Lys Asn Pro Ala Arg Asn Cys Arg 1250 1255 1260 Asp Leu Lys Phe Cys His Pro Glu Leu Gln Ser Gly Glu Tyr Trp 1265 1270 1275 Val Asp Pro Asn Gln Gly Cys Lys Leu Asp Ala Ile Lys Val Tyr 1280 1285 1290 Cys Asn Met Glu Thr Gly Glu Thr Cys Ile Ser Ala Ser Pro Leu 1295 1300 1305 Thr Ile Pro Gln Lys Asn Trp Trp Thr Asp Ser Gly Ala Glu Lys 1310 1315 1320 Lys His Val Trp Phe Gly Glu Ser Met Glu Gly Gly Phe Gln Phe 1325 1330 1335 Ser Tyr Gly Asn Pro Glu Leu Pro Glu Asp Val Leu Asp Val Gln 1340 1345 1350 Leu Ala Phe Leu Arg Leu Leu Ser Ser Arg Ala Ser Gln Asn Ile 1355 1360 1365 Thr Tyr His Cys Lys Asn Ser Ile Ala Tyr Met Asp His Val Ser 1370 1375 1380 Gly Asn Val Lys Lys Ala Leu Lys Leu Met Gly Ser Asn Glu Gly 1385 1390 1395 Glu Phe Lys Ala Glu Gly Asn Ser Lys Phe Thr Tyr Thr Val Leu 1400 1405 1410 Glu Asp Gly Cys Thr Lys His Thr Gly Glu Trp Gly Lys Thr Val 1415 1420 1425 Phe Gln Tyr Gln Thr Arg Lys Ala Val Arg Leu Pro Ile Val Asp 1430 1435 1440 Ile Ala Pro Tyr Asp Ile Gly Gly Pro Asp Gln Glu Phe Gly Ala 1445 1450 1455 Asp Ile Gly Pro Val Cys Phe Leu 1460 1465 7 4425 DNA Sus scrofa 7 gaattcaggg acatgttcag ctttgtggac ctccggctcc tgctcctctt agcggccacc 60 gccctcctga cgcacggcca agaggagggc caagaagaag gccaacaagg ccaagaagaa 120 gacatcccac cagtcacctg cgtacagaac ggcctcaggt accatgaccg agacgtgtgg 180 aaacccgtgc cctgccagat ctgtgtctgc gacaacggca atgtgttgtg cgatgacgtg 240 atctgcgacg aaatcaagaa ctgtcccagc gccagagtcc ctgcgggcga gtgctgcccc 300 gtctgccccg aaggcgaggt gtcacccacc gaccaggaaa ccacgggagt cgagggaccc 360 aagggagaca ctggcccccg aggccccagg ggaccctctg gcccccctgg ccgagacggc 420 atccctggac aacctggact tcctggaccc cccggacctc ctggaccccc cggaccccct 480 ggcctcggag gaaactttgc tccccagttg tcttatggct atgatgagaa gtcagcagga 540 atttccgtgc ccggccccat gggtccttct ggtcctcgtg gtctctctgg cccccctggc 600 gcacctggtc cccaaggttt ccaaggcccc cctggtgagc ctggcgagcc tggcgcctcc 660 ggtcccatgg gtccccgtgg tcctcctggc ccccctggca agaacggaga tgatggtgaa 720 gctggaaagc ctggtcgccc tggtgagcgt gggcctcctg gacctcaggg tgctcgggga 780 ttgcccggaa cagctggcct ccctggaatg aagggacaca gaggtttcag tggtttggat 840 ggtgccaagg gagatgctgg tcctgctggt cccaagggtg agcctggtag ccctggtgaa 900 aatggagctc ctggtcagat gggcccccgt ggtctgcctg gtgagcgagg tcgccctgga 960 ccccctggcc ctgctggtgc tcgtggaaat gatggtgcta ctggtgctgc tggaccccct 1020 ggtcccactg gccccgctgg tcctcctggc ttccctggtg ctgttggtgc taagggtgaa 1080 gctggtcccc aaggagcccg aggctctgaa ggtccccagg gtgtgcgtgg tgagcctggc 1140 ccccctggcc ctgctggtgc tgctggccct gctggaaacc ctggtgctga tggacagcct 1200 ggtggcaaag gtgccaacgg cgctcctggt attgctggtg ctcctggctt ccctggtgcc 1260 cgaggcccct ctggacccca gggtcccagc ggcccccctg gtcccaaggg taacagcggt 1320 gaacctggtg ctcccggcag caaaggagac actggcgcca agggagagcc cggtcccact 1380 ggtgttcaag gaccccctgg ccctgctgga gaagaaggaa agcgaggagc ccgaggtgaa 1440 cctggacctg ctggcctgcc tggaccccct ggcgagcgtg gtggacctgg tagccgtggt 1500 ttccctggcg ccgatggtgt tgctggtccc aagggtcccg ctggtgaacg tggttctcct 1560 ggccctgctg gtcccaaagg ttctcctggt gaagctggtc gccccggtga agctggtctg 1620 cctggtgcca agggtctgac tggaagccct ggcagccctg gtcctgatgg caaaactggc 1680 ccccctggtc ccgccggtca agatggtcgc cctggacccc caggccctcc tggtgcccgt 1740 ggtcaggctg gtgtgatggg tttccctgga cctaaaggtg ctgctggaga gcctggcaaa 1800 gctggagagc gaggtgttcc cggaccccct ggcgcagttg gtcctgctgg caaagatgga 1860 gaagctggag ctcagggacc ccccggacct gctggccccg ctggtgagag aggagaacaa 1920 ggccccgctg gctcccctgg attccagggt ctccctggcc ctgctggtcc tcctggtgaa 1980 gcaggcaaac ccggtgaaca gggtgttcct ggagatctcg gtgcccccgg cccctctgga 2040 gcaagaggcg agagaggttt ccccggcgag cgtggtgtgc aaggtccccc cggtcctgca 2100 ggtccccgtg gagccaacgg tgcccctggc aatgatggtg ctaagggtga tgctggtgcc 2160 cctggagccc ctggtagcca gggcgcccct ggccttcagg gaatgcctgg cgaacgaggt 2220 gcagctggtc tcccaggtcc taagggtgac agaggagatg ctggtcccaa aggtgctgat 2280 ggtgctcctg gcaaagatgg cgtccgtggt ctgactggcc ccattggtcc tcccggcccc 2340 gctggtgccc ctggtgacaa gggtgaaact ggtcctagcg gtcctgctgg tcccactgga 2400 gctcgtggtg cccccggtga ccgtggtgag cctggtcccc ccggccctgc tggcttcgct 2460 ggcccccctg gtgctgatgg ccaacctggt gctaaaggcg aacctggtga tgctggtgct 2520 aaaggcgatg ctggtccccc cggccctgct ggacccactg gcccccctgg ccccattggt 2580 agcgttggtg ctcccggacc caaaggtgct cgtggcagcg ctggtcctcc tggtgctact 2640 ggtttccctg gtgctgctgg ccgagtcggt ccccccggcc cctctggaaa tgctggaccc 2700 cctggccctc ctggtcctgc tggcaaagaa ggcagcaaag gtccccgtgg tgagactggc 2760 cccgctgggc gtcccggtga agccggtccc cctggccccc ctggccccgc tggtgagaaa 2820 ggatcccctg gtgctgacgg acctgctggt gctcccggta ctcctggacc tcagggtatt 2880 gctggacagc gtggtgtggt cggcctgccc ggtcaacgag gagaaagagg cttccctggt 2940 cttcccggcc catctggtga acccggcaaa caaggtcctt ctggaccaag cggcgaacgt 3000 ggcccccctg gtcccatggg cccccctgga ttggctggac cccctggcga gtctggacgt 3060 gagggagccc ctggcgctga aggatcccct ggacgagatg gtgctcctgg ccccaagggt 3120 gaccgtggtg agagcggccc tgctggaccc cctggtgctc ctggtgctcc tggtgccccc 3180 ggccccgttg gccctgctgg caagagcggc gatcgtggtg agactggtcc tgctggtcct 3240 gctggtcccg ttggccccgt tggtgcccgt ggccctgctg gaccccaagg cccccgtggt 3300 gacaagggtg agacaggcga acagggcgac agaggcatta agggtcaccg tggcttctct 3360 ggtctccagg gtccccctgg ccctcccggc tctcctggtg agcaaggtcc ctccggagct 3420 tctggtcccg ctggtccccg aggtccccct ggctctgctg gtgctcctgg caaagatgga 3480 ctcaacggtc tccccggccc catcggtccc cctgggcctc gtggtcgcac tggtgatgct 3540 ggccctgttg gtcctcccgg ccctcctgga ccccccggtc cccctggtcc tcccagcggc 3600 ggtttcgact tcagcttctt gccccagcca cctcaagaga aggctcacga tggtggccgc 3660 tactaccggg ccgatgatgc caatgtggtc cgcgaccgtg acctcgaggt ggacaccacc 3720 ctcaagagcc tgagccagca gatcgagaac atccggagcc ccgaaggcag ccgcaagaac 3780 cccgcccgca cctgccgcga cctcaagatg tgccactccg actggaagag cggagaatac 3840 tggattgacc ccaaccaagg ctgcaacctg gacgccatca aagtcttctg caacatggag 3900 acaggcgaga cctgcgtgta ccccactcag cccagcgtgc cccagaagaa ctggtacatc 3960 agcaagaacc ccaaggacaa gaggcacgtc tggtacggcg agagcatgac cgacggattc 4020 cagttcgagt acggcggcga gggctccgat cctgctgacg tggccatcca gctgaccttc 4080 ctgcgcctga tgtccactga ggcttcccag aacatcacct accactgcaa gaacagcgtg 4140 gcctacatgg accagcagac tggcaacctc aagaaggccc tgctcctcca gggctccaac 4200 gagatcgaga tccgggccga gggcaacagc cgcttcacct acagcgtgat ctacgacggc 4260 tgcacgagtc acaccggagc ctggggcaag acagtgatcg aatacaaaac caccaagacc 4320 tcccgcctgc ccatcatcga tgtggccccc ttggacgttg gcgcccccga ccaagaattc 4380 ggcatcgacc ttagccctgt ctgcttcctg taaactcctg aattc 4425 8 1449 PRT Sus scrofa 8 Met Phe Ser Phe Val Asp Leu Arg Leu Leu Leu Leu Leu Ala Ala Thr 1 5 10 15 Ala Leu Leu Thr His Gly Gln Glu Glu Gly Gln Glu Glu Gly Gln Gln 20 25 30 Gly Gln Glu Glu Asp Ile Pro Pro Val Thr Cys Val Gln Asn Gly Leu 35 40 45 Arg Tyr His Asp Arg Asp Val Trp Lys Pro Val Pro Cys Gln Ile Cys 50 55 60 Val Cys Asp Asn Gly Asn Val Leu Cys Asp Asp Val Ile Cys Asp Glu 65 70 75 80 Ile Lys Asn Cys Pro Ser Ala Arg Val Pro Ala Gly Glu Cys Cys Pro 85 90 95 Val Cys Pro Glu Gly Glu Val Ser Pro Thr Asp Gln Glu Thr Thr Gly 100 105 110 Val Glu Gly Pro Lys Gly Asp Thr Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro 115 120 125 Ser Gly Pro Pro Gly Arg Asp Gly Ile Pro Gly Gln Pro Gly Leu Pro 130 135 140 Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Leu Gly Gly 145 150 155 160 Asn Phe Ala Pro Gln Leu Ser Tyr Gly Tyr Asp Glu Lys Ser Ala Gly 165 170 175 Ile Ser Val Pro Gly Pro Met Gly Pro Ser Gly Pro Arg Gly Leu Ser 180 185 190 Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Phe Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly 195 200 205 Glu Pro Gly Glu Pro Gly Ala Ser Gly Pro Met Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro 210 215 220 Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Lys Asn Gly Asp Asp Gly Glu Ala Gly Lys Pro 225 230 235 240 Gly Arg Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Ala Arg Gly 245 250 255 Leu Pro Gly Thr Ala Gly Leu Pro Gly Met Lys Gly His Arg Gly Phe 260 265 270 Ser Gly Leu Asp Gly Ala Lys Gly Asp Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Lys 275 280 285 Gly Glu Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Glu Asn Gly Ala Pro Gly Gln Met Gly 290 295 300 Pro Arg Gly Leu Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Arg Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro 305 310 315 320 Ala Gly Ala Arg Gly Asn Asp Gly Ala Thr Gly Ala Ala Gly Pro Pro 325 330 335 Gly Pro Thr Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Phe Pro Gly Ala Val Gly 340 345 350 Ala Lys Gly Glu Ala Gly Pro Gln Gly Ala Arg Gly Ser Glu Gly Pro 355 360 365 Gln Gly Val Arg Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala Ala 370 375 380 Gly Pro Ala Gly Asn Pro Gly Ala Asp Gly Gln Pro Gly Gly Lys Gly 385 390 395 400 Ala Asn Gly Ala Pro Gly Ile Ala Gly Ala Pro Gly Phe Pro Gly Ala 405 410 415 Arg Gly Pro Ser Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Ser Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Lys 420 425 430 Gly Asn Ser Gly Glu Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Ser Lys Gly Asp Thr Gly 435 440 445 Ala Lys Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Thr Gly Val Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro 450 455 460 Ala Gly Glu Glu Gly Lys Arg Gly Ala Arg Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Ala 465 470 475 480 Gly Leu Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Gly Pro Gly Ser Arg Gly 485 490 495 Phe Pro Gly Ala Asp Gly Val Ala Gly Pro Lys Gly Pro Ala Gly Glu 500 505 510 Arg Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Lys Gly Ser Pro Gly Glu Ala 515 520 525 Gly Arg Pro Gly Glu Ala Gly Leu Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly Leu Thr Gly 530 535 540 Ser Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Asp Gly Lys Thr Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro 545 550 555 560 Ala Gly Gln Asp Gly Arg Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Arg 565 570 575 Gly Gln Ala Gly Val Met Gly Phe Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Ala Ala Gly 580 585 590 Glu Pro Gly Lys Ala Gly Glu Arg Gly Val Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala 595 600 605 Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys Asp Gly Glu Ala Gly Ala Gln Gly Pro Pro 610 615 620 Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Glu Arg Gly Glu Gln Gly Pro Ala Gly 625 630 635 640 Ser Pro Gly Phe Gln Gly Leu Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Glu 645 650 655 Ala Gly Lys Pro Gly Glu Gln Gly Val Pro Gly Asp Leu Gly Ala Pro 660 665 670 Gly Pro Ser Gly Ala Arg Gly Glu Arg Gly Phe Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly 675 680 685 Val Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Ala Asn Gly Ala 690 695 700 Pro Gly Asn Asp Gly Ala Lys Gly Asp Ala Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala Pro 705 710 715 720 Gly Ser Gln Gly Ala Pro Gly Leu Gln Gly Met Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly 725 730 735 Ala Ala Gly Leu Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Asp Arg Gly Asp Ala Gly Pro 740 745 750 Lys Gly Ala Asp Gly Ala Pro Gly Lys Asp Gly Val Arg Gly Leu Thr 755 760 765 Gly Pro Ile Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala Pro Gly Asp Lys Gly 770 775 780 Glu Thr Gly Pro Ser Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Thr Gly Ala Arg Gly Ala 785 790 795 800 Pro Gly Asp Arg Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Phe Ala 805 810 815 Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Asp Gly Gln Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly Gly Pro Thr 820 825 830 Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ile Gly Ser Val Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly 835 840 845 Ala Arg Gly Ser Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Thr Gly Phe Pro Gly Ala 850 855 860 Ala Gly Arg Val Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ser Gly Asn Ala Gly Pro Pro 865 870 875 880 Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys Glu Gly Ser Lys Gly Pro Arg Gly 885 890 895 Glu Thr Gly Pro Ala Gly Arg Pro Gly Glu Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro 900 905 910 Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Glu Lys Gly Ser Pro Gly Ala Asp Gly Pro Ala 915 920 925 Gly Ala Pro Gly Thr Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Ile Ala Gly Gln Arg Gly 930 935 940 Val Val Gly Leu Pro Gly Gln Arg Gly Glu Arg Gly Phe Pro Gly Leu 945 950 955 960 Pro Gly Pro Ser Gly Glu Pro Gly Lys Gln Gly Pro Ser Gly Pro Ser 965 970 975 Gly Glu Arg Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Met Gly Pro Pro Gly Leu Ala Gly 980 985 990 Pro Pro Gly Glu Ser Gly Arg Glu Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala Glu Gly Ser 995 1000 1005 Pro Gly Arg Asp Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Asp Arg Gly Glu 1010 1015 1020 Ser Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala 1025 1030 1035 Pro Gly Pro Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys Ser Gly Asp Arg Gly Glu 1040 1045 1050 Thr Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Val Gly Pro Val Gly Ala 1055 1060 1065 Arg Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Arg Gly Asp Lys Gly Glu 1070 1075 1080 Thr Gly Glu Gln Gly Asp Arg Gly Ile Lys Gly His Arg Gly Phe 1085 1090 1095 Ser Gly Leu Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Glu 1100 1105 1110 Gln Gly Pro Ser Gly Ala Ser Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro 1115 1120 1125 Pro Gly Ser Ala Gly Ala Pro Gly Lys Asp Gly Leu Asn Gly Leu 1130 1135 1140 Pro Gly Pro Ile Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Arg Gly Arg Thr Gly Asp 1145 1150 1155 Ala Gly Pro Val Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro 1160 1165 1170 Pro Gly Pro Pro Ser Gly Gly Phe Asp Phe Ser Phe Leu Pro Gln 1175 1180 1185 Pro Pro Gln Glu Lys Ala His Asp Gly Gly Arg Tyr Tyr Arg Ala 1190 1195 1200 Asp Asp Ala Asn Val Val Arg Asp Arg Asp Leu Glu Val Asp Thr 1205 1210 1215 Thr Leu Lys Ser Leu Ser Gln Gln Ile Glu Asn Ile Arg Ser Pro 1220 1225 1230 Glu Gly Ser Arg Lys Asn Pro Ala Arg Thr Cys Arg Asp Leu Lys 1235 1240 1245 Met Cys His Ser Asp Trp Lys Ser Gly Glu Tyr Trp Ile Asp Pro 1250 1255 1260 Asn Gln Gly Cys Asn Leu Asp Ala Ile Lys Val Phe Cys Asn Met 1265 1270 1275 Glu Thr Gly Glu Thr Cys Val Tyr Pro Thr Gln Pro Ser Val Pro 1280 1285 1290 Gln Lys Asn Trp Tyr Ile Ser Lys Asn Pro Lys Asp Lys Arg His 1295 1300 1305 Val Trp Tyr Gly Glu Ser Met Thr Asp Gly Phe Gln Phe Glu Tyr 1310 1315 1320 Gly Gly Glu Gly Ser Asp Pro Ala Asp Val Ala Ile Gln Leu Thr 1325 1330 1335 Phe Leu Arg Leu Met Ser Thr Glu Ala Ser Gln Asn Ile Thr Tyr 1340 1345 1350 His Cys Lys Asn Ser Val Ala Tyr Met Asp Gln Gln Thr Gly Asn 1355 1360 1365 Leu Lys Lys Ala Leu Leu Leu Gln Gly Ser Asn Glu Ile Glu Ile 1370 1375 1380 Arg Ala Glu Gly Asn Ser Arg Phe Thr Tyr Ser Val Ile Tyr Asp 1385 1390 1395 Gly Cys Thr Ser His Thr Gly Ala Trp Gly Lys Thr Val Ile Glu 1400 1405 1410 Tyr Lys Thr Thr Lys Thr Ser Arg Leu Pro Ile Ile Asp Val Ala 1415 1420 1425 Pro Leu Asp Val Gly Ala Pro Asp Gln Glu Phe Gly Ile Asp Leu 1430 1435 1440 Ser Pro Val Cys Phe Leu 1445 9 4498 DNA Sus scrofa 9 gaattcaggg acatgctcag ctttgtggat acgcggactt tgttgctgct tgcagtaact 60 tcgtgcctag caacatgcca atctttacaa gaggcaactg caagaaaggg cccaactgga 120 gatagaggac cacgcggaga aaggggtcca ccaggcccac caggcagaga tggtgatgat 180 ggtatcccag gccctcctgg tccacctggt cctcctggcc cccctggtct tggcgggaac 240 tttgctgctc agtatgatgg aaaaggagtt ggagctggcc ctggaccaat gggtttgatg 300 ggacctaggg gccctcctgg ggcagttgga gcccctggcc ctcaaggttt ccaaggacct 360 gctggtgagc ctggcgaacc tggtcagact ggtcctgctg gtgctcgtgg tccacctggc 420 cctcctggca aggctggtga ggatggtcac cctggaaaac ccggacgacc tggtgagaga 480 ggagttgttg gaccacaggg tgctcgtggt ttccctggaa ctcctggact tcctggcttc 540 aagggcatta ggggtcacaa cggtctggat ggattgaagg gacagcccgg tgctccaggt 600 gtgaagggcg aacctggtgc ccccggcgaa aatggaactc caggtcaaac aggagctcgc 660 gggcttcctg gtgagagagg acgtgtcggt gctcctggcc cagctggtgc ccgtggaaat 720 gatggaagtg tgggtcctgt gggtcctgct ggtcccattg ggtctgctgg ccctccaggc 780 ttcccaggtg ctcctggccc caagggtgaa cttggacctg ttggtaaccc tggtcctgca 840 ggtcctgcgg gtccccgtgg tgaagtgggt cttccaggtg tttctggccc tgttggacct 900 cctggcaacc ctggagccaa cggccttcct ggtgctaaag gtgctgctgg cctgcttggt 960 gttgctgggg ctcctggcct ccctgggcct cgaggtattc ctggccctgc tggtgctgct 1020 ggtgctactg gtgccagagg tcttgttggt gagcctggtc cagctggttc caaaggagag 1080 agcggcaaca agggcgagcc tggtgctgct gggccccaag gtcctcctgg tcccagtggt 1140 gaagaaggaa agagaggccc caatggagaa gttggatctg ctggcccccc aggacctcct 1200 gggctgaggg gaaatcctgg ttctcgtggt ctccctggag ctgatggcag agctggtgtc 1260 atgggccctc ctggtagtcg tggtccaact ggccctgctg gtgttcgagg tcccaatgga 1320 gattctggtc gccctggaga gcctggcctt atgggacccc gaggtttccc tggatcccct 1380 ggaaatgttg gtccagctgg taaagaaggt cctgcgggcc tccctggtat tgatggcagg 1440 cctggaccaa ttggcccagc tggagcaaga ggagagcctg gcaacattgg attccctgga 1500 cccaaaggcc ccactggtga tcctggcaaa aatggtgaaa aaggtcatgc tggtctggct 1560 ggtgctcggg gtgccccagg tcctgatgga aacaatggtg ctcagggacc tcctggacca 1620 cagggtgttc aaggtggaaa aggtgaacaa ggtcccgctg gtcctccagg cttccagggt 1680 ctccctggcc ccgcaggtac agctggtgaa gttggcaaac caggagaaag gggtatccct 1740 ggtgaatttg gtctccctgg tcctgctggt ccaagagggg agcgtggtcc cccaggtgaa 1800 agtggtgctg ctggtcctgc tggtcctatt ggaagccgag gtccttctgg acccccgggg 1860 cctgatggca acaagggcga acctggtgtg cttggtgctc caggcactgc tggtccatct 1920 ggtcctagtg gactcccagg agagaggggt gctgctggca tacctggagg caagggagaa 1980 aagggtgaaa ctggtctcag aggtgacgtt ggtagccctg gcagagatgg tgctcgtggt 2040 gctcctggtg ctgtaggtgc ccctggtcct gctggagcca atggggaccg gggtgaagct 2100 ggccctgctg gccctgctgg ccctgctggt cctcgtggta gtcctggtga acgtggtgag 2160 gttggtcctg ctggccccaa tggatttgct ggtcctgctg gtgctgccgg tcaacctggt 2220 gctaaaggag agagaggaac caaagggccc aaaggtgaaa atggtcctgt tggtcccaca 2280 ggccctgttg gagctgctgg cccagctggt ccaaatggtc ctcctggtcc tgctggcagt 2340 cgtggtgatg gcggcccccc tggtgctact ggtttccctg gtgctgctgg acggattggt 2400 cctcctggac cttctggtat ctctgggccc cctggacccc ctggtcctgc tgggaaagaa 2460 ggacttcgtg ggcctcgtgg tgaccaaggt ccagttggtc gaactggaga aacaggtgca 2520 tctggccccc ctggctttgc tggtgagaaa ggtccctctg gagagcctgg tactgctgga 2580 cctcctggta ccccaggtcc tcaaggtatt cttggtgctc ctggttttct gggtctccct 2640 ggctctagag gtgaacgtgg tctaccaggt gttgctggat cagtgggtga acctggcccc 2700 ctcggcattg caggcccacc tggggcccgt ggtccccctg gtgctgtggg taatcctggt 2760 gtcaatggtg ctcctggtga agctggtcgt gatggcaacc ctggaagcga tggtccccca 2820 ggccgagatg gtcaagctgg acacaagggc gagcgtggtt accctggtaa tcctggtcct 2880 gctggtgctg caggagcacc tggtcctcaa ggtgctgtgg gtcccgctgg caaacatgga 2940 aaccgtggtg aacctggtcc tgctggttct gttggtcctg ctggtgctgt tggtccaaga 3000 ggtcctagtg gcccacaagg tattcgaggt gagaagggag agcctggtga taaggggccc 3060 agaggtcttc ctggcttgaa gggacacaac ggattgcaag gtcttcctgg tcttgctggt 3120 catcatggtg atcaaggtgc tcctggccct gtgggtcctg ctggtcctag gggtccagct 3180 ggtccttctg gccctgctgg caaagatggt cgcactggac aacctggtgc agttggacct 3240 gctggcattc gtggctctca aggaagccaa ggtcctgctg gtcctcctgg tcctcctggc 3300 cctcctggac cacctggccc aagtggtggt ggttatgatt ttggatatga aggagacttc 3360 tacagggctg accagcctcg ctcaccacct tctctcagac ccaaggatta tgaagttgat 3420 gctactctga aatctctcaa caaccagatt gagactctac ttactccaga aggctctagg 3480 aagaacccag ctcgcacatg ccgtgacttg agactcagcc acccagaatg gagtagtggt 3540 tactactgga ttgaccctaa ccaaggatgt actatggatg ctatcaaagt atactgtgat 3600 ttctctactg gtgaaacctg cattcgggct caacctgaaa acatcccagc caaaaactgg 3660 tacagaaact ccaaggtcaa gaagcacgtc tggttaggag aaactatcaa tggtggtacc 3720 cagtttgaat ataatatgga aggagttacc accaaggaaa tggctacaca acttgccttc 3780 atgcgcctgc tggccaacca tgcctcccaa aacatcacct accattgcaa gaacagcatt 3840 gcatacatgg atgaagagac tggcaacctg aaaaaggctg tcattctgca aggatccaat 3900 gatgttgaac ttgttgccga gggcaacagc agattcacct acactgttct tgtagatggc 3960 tgttctaaaa aaacaaatga atggagaaaa acaatcattg aatataaaac aaataagcca 4020 tctcgcctgc ctatccttga tattgcacct ttggacatcg gtgatgctga ccaagaagtc 4080 agtgtggacg ttggcccagt ctgtttcaaa taaatgaact caacctaaat taaagaaaaa 4140 ggaaatctga aaaatttctc tctttgccat ttctttttct tctttttaac tgaaagctga 4200 atcattccat ttcttctgca catctacttg cttaaattgt gggcaaaaga gaaggagaag 4260 gattgatcag agcatcgtgc aatacaatta attcgttccc tgtccctctt cccctcccca 4320 aaagatttgg aatttttttc aacattctaa cacctgttgt ggaaaatgtc aacctttgta 4380 agaaaaccaa aaataaaaat tgaaaaataa aataaaaacc atgaacattt gcaccacttg 4440 tggcttttga atatcttcca cagagggaag tttaaaaccc aaacttccac ctgaattc 4498 10 1366 PRT Sus scrofa 10 Met Leu Ser Phe Val Asp Thr Arg Thr Leu Leu Leu Leu Ala Val Thr 1 5 10 15 Ser Cys Leu Ala Thr Cys Gln Ser Leu Gln Glu Ala Thr Ala Arg Lys 20 25 30 Gly Pro Thr Gly Asp Arg Gly Pro Arg Gly Glu Arg Gly Pro Pro Gly 35 40 45 Pro Pro Gly Arg Asp Gly Asp Asp Gly Ile Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro 50 55 60 Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Leu Gly Gly Asn Phe Ala Ala Gln 65 70 75 80 Tyr Asp Gly Lys Gly Val Gly Ala Gly Pro Gly Pro Met Gly Leu Met 85 90 95 Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Val Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly 100 105 110 Phe Gln Gly Pro Ala Gly Glu Pro Gly Glu Pro Gly Gln Thr Gly Pro 115 120 125 Ala Gly Ala Arg Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Lys Ala Gly Glu Asp 130 135 140 Gly His Pro Gly Lys Pro Gly Arg Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Val Val Gly 145 150 155 160 Pro Gln Gly Ala Arg Gly Phe Pro Gly Thr Pro Gly Leu Pro Gly Phe 165 170 175 Lys Gly Ile Arg Gly His Asn Gly Leu Asp Gly Leu Lys Gly Gln Pro 180 185 190 Gly Ala Pro Gly Val Lys Gly Glu Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Glu Asn Gly 195 200 205 Thr Pro Gly Gln Thr Gly Ala Arg Gly Leu Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Arg 210 215 220 Val Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala Arg Gly Asn Asp Gly Ser Val 225 230 235 240 Gly Pro Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Ile Gly Ser Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly 245 250 255 Phe Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Glu Leu Gly Pro Val Gly Asn 260 265 270 Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Glu Val Gly Leu Pro 275 280 285 Gly Val Ser Gly Pro Val Gly Pro Pro Gly Asn Pro Gly Ala Asn Gly 290 295 300 Leu Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly Ala Ala Gly Leu Leu Gly Val Ala Gly Ala 305 310 315 320 Pro Gly Leu Pro Gly Pro Arg Gly Ile Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala Ala 325 330 335 Gly Ala Thr Gly Ala Arg Gly Leu Val Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly 340 345 350 Ser Lys Gly Glu Ser Gly Asn Lys Gly Glu Pro Gly Ala Ala Gly Pro 355 360 365 Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ser Gly Glu Glu Gly Lys Arg Gly Pro Asn 370 375 380 Gly Glu Val Gly Ser Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Leu Arg Gly 385 390 395 400 Asn Pro Gly Ser Arg Gly Leu Pro Gly Ala Asp Gly Arg Ala Gly Val 405 410 415 Met Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Arg Gly Pro Thr Gly Pro Ala Gly Val Arg 420 425 430 Gly Pro Asn Gly Asp Ser Gly Arg Pro Gly Glu Pro Gly Leu Met Gly 435 440 445 Pro Arg Gly Phe Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Asn Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys 450 455 460 Glu Gly Pro Ala Gly Leu Pro Gly Ile Asp Gly Arg Pro Gly Pro Ile 465 470 475 480 Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala Arg Gly Glu Pro Gly Asn Ile Gly Phe Pro Gly 485 490 495 Pro Lys Gly Pro Thr Gly Asp Pro Gly Lys Asn Gly Glu Lys Gly His 500 505 510 Ala Gly Leu Ala Gly Ala Arg Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Asp Gly Asn Asn 515 520 525 Gly Ala Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Val Gln Gly Gly Lys Gly 530 535 540 Glu Gln Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Phe Gln Gly Leu Pro Gly Pro 545 550 555 560 Ala Gly Thr Ala Gly Glu Val Gly Lys Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Ile Pro 565 570 575 Gly Glu Phe Gly Leu Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Glu Arg Gly 580 585 590 Pro Pro Gly Glu Ser Gly Ala Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Ile Gly Ser 595 600 605 Arg Gly Pro Ser Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Asp Gly Asn Lys Gly Glu Pro 610 615 620 Gly Val Leu Gly Ala Pro Gly Thr Ala Gly Pro Ser Gly Pro Ser Gly 625 630 635 640 Leu Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Ala Ala Gly Ile Pro Gly Gly Lys Gly Glu 645 650 655 Lys Gly Glu Thr Gly Leu Arg Gly Asp Val Gly Ser Pro Gly Arg Asp 660 665 670 Gly Ala Arg Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala Val Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly 675 680 685 Ala Asn Gly Asp Arg Gly Glu Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro 690 695 700 Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Ser Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Glu Val Gly Pro Ala 705 710 715 720 Gly Pro Asn Gly Phe Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala Ala Gly Gln Pro Gly 725 730 735 Ala Lys Gly Glu Arg Gly Thr Lys Gly Pro Lys Gly Glu Asn Gly Pro 740 745 750 Val Gly Pro Thr Gly Pro Val Gly Ala Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Asn 755 760 765 Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Ser Arg Gly Asp Gly Gly Pro Pro Gly 770 775 780 Ala Thr Gly Phe Pro Gly Ala Ala Gly Arg Ile Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro 785 790 795 800 Ser Gly Ile Ser Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys Glu 805 810 815 Gly Leu Arg Gly Pro Arg Gly Asp Gln Gly Pro Val Gly Arg Thr Gly 820 825 830 Glu Thr Gly Ala Ser Gly Pro Pro Gly Phe Ala Gly Glu Lys Gly Pro 835 840 845 Ser Gly Glu Pro Gly Thr Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Thr Pro Gly Pro Gln 850 855 860 Gly Ile Leu Gly Ala Pro Gly Phe Leu Gly Leu Pro Gly Ser Arg Gly 865 870 875 880 Glu Arg Gly Leu Pro Gly Val Ala Gly Ser Val Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro 885 890 895 Leu Gly Ile Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Arg Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Val 900 905 910 Gly Asn Pro Gly Val Asn Gly Ala Pro Gly Glu Ala Gly Arg Asp Gly 915 920 925 Asn Pro Gly Ser Asp Gly Pro Pro Gly Arg Asp Gly Gln Ala Gly His 930 935 940 Lys Gly Glu Arg Gly Tyr Pro Gly Asn Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala Ala 945 950 955 960 Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Ala Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys His Gly 965 970 975 Asn Arg Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Ser Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala 980 985 990 Val Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro Ser Gly Pro Gln Gly Ile Arg Gly Glu Lys 995 1000 1005 Gly Glu Pro Gly Asp Lys Gly Pro Arg Gly Leu Pro Gly Leu Lys 1010 1015 1020 Gly His Asn Gly Leu Gln Gly Leu Pro Gly Leu Ala Gly His His 1025 1030 1035 Gly Asp Gln Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Arg 1040 1045 1050 Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Ser Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys Asp Gly Arg Thr 1055 1060 1065 Gly Gln Pro Gly Ala Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Ile Arg Gly Ser Gln 1070 1075 1080 Gly Ser Gln Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro 1085 1090 1095 Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ser Gly Gly Gly Tyr Asp Phe Gly Tyr Glu 1100 1105 1110 Gly Asp Phe Tyr Arg Ala Asp Gln Pro Arg Ser Pro Pro Ser Leu 1115 1120 1125 Arg Pro Lys Asp Tyr Glu Val Asp Ala Thr Leu Lys Ser Leu Asn 1130 1135 1140 Asn Gln Ile Glu Thr Leu Leu Thr Pro Glu Gly Ser Arg Lys Asn 1145 1150 1155 Pro Ala Arg Thr Cys Arg Asp Leu Arg Leu Ser His Pro Glu Trp 1160 1165 1170 Ser Ser Gly Tyr Tyr Trp Ile Asp Pro Asn Gln Gly Cys Thr Met 1175 1180 1185 Asp Ala Ile Lys Val Tyr Cys Asp Phe Ser Thr Gly Glu Thr Cys 1190 1195 1200 Ile Arg Ala Gln Pro Glu Asn Ile Pro Ala Lys Asn Trp Tyr Arg 1205 1210 1215 Asn Ser Lys Val Lys Lys His Val Trp Leu Gly Glu Thr Ile Asn 1220 1225 1230 Gly Gly Thr Gln Phe Glu Tyr Asn Met Glu Gly Val Thr Thr Lys 1235 1240 1245 Glu Met Ala Thr Gln Leu Ala Phe Met Arg Leu Leu Ala Asn His 1250 1255 1260 Ala Ser Gln Asn Ile Thr Tyr His Cys Lys Asn Ser Ile Ala Tyr 1265 1270 1275 Met Asp Glu Glu Thr Gly Asn Leu Lys Lys Ala Val Ile Leu Gln 1280 1285 1290 Gly Ser Asn Asp Val Glu Leu Val Ala Glu Gly Asn Ser Arg Phe 1295 1300 1305 Thr Tyr Thr Val Leu Val Asp Gly Cys Ser Lys Lys Thr Asn Glu 1310 1315 1320 Trp Arg Lys Thr Ile Ile Glu Tyr Lys Thr Asn Lys Pro Ser Arg 1325 1330 1335 Leu Pro Ile Leu Asp Ile Ala Pro Leu Asp Ile Gly Asp Ala Asp 1340 1345 1350 Gln Glu Val Ser Val Asp Val Gly Pro Val Cys Phe Lys 1355 1360 1365 11 4428 DNA Sus scrofa 11 gaattcaggg acatgatgag ctttgtgcaa aaggggacct ggttactttt tgctctactt 60 catcccactg ttattttggc acaacaacag gaagctattg aaggaggatg ctcccatctt 120 ggtcagtcct atgcggatag agatgtctgg aagccagaac catgtcaaat atgcgtctgt 180 gactcaggat ctgttctctg cgatgatata atatgtgatg atcaagaatt agactgtccc 240 aaccctgaga tcccatttgg agaatgttgt gcagtttgtc cacaacctcc aacagctccc 300 acccgccctc ccaatggtca tggacctcaa ggccccaagg gagatccagg ccctcctggt 360 attcctggga gaaatggaga ccctggtctt ccaggacaac caggttcccc tggttctcct 420 gggcctcctg gaatctgtga atcatgccct actggtggcc agaactattc tccccagtat 480 gagtcatatg atgtcaaggc tggagtagca ggaggaggaa tcggaggcta tcctgggcca 540 gcaggtcccc ctggcccacc tggtccccct ggtgtatctg gtcatcctgg tgcccctggt 600 tctccaggat accaagggcc ccctggtgaa cctgggcaag ctggtcctgc aggtcctcca 660 gggcctcctg gtgctatagg tccatctggt cctgccggaa aagatgggga gtcaggaaga 720 cccggacgac ctggagaacg aggattgcct ggccctccag gtctcaaagg tccagctggc 780 atgcctggat tccctggtat gaaagggcat agaggctttg atggacgaaa tggagaaaaa 840 ggtgatacag gtgctcctgg gctgaagggt gaaaatggcc ttccaggtga aaatggagct 900 cctggaccca tgggtccaag aggggctcct ggtgagcgag gacggccagg acttcctgga 960 gctgcagggg ctcgaggtaa tgatggtgcc cgaggaagtg atggacaacc aggtccccct 1020 ggtccccctg gaactgcagg attccctggt tcccctggtg ctaagggtga agttggaccc 1080 gcgggatctc ctggtccaag tggatcccct ggacaaagag gagaacctgg acctcaggga 1140 catgccggtg ctgcaggtcc tcctggccct cctgggagta atggtagtcc tggtggcaaa 1200 ggtgaaatgg gtcctgctgg catccctgga gctcctggat tgatgggagc ccgtggtcct 1260 ccaggaccac ctggtaccaa tggtgctcct gggcaacgag gtgcagcagg tgaacctggt 1320 aaaaatgggg ccaaaggaga gccaggacca cgtggtgaac gtggggaagc tggttctccg 1380 ggtattccag gacccaaggg tgaagatggc aaagatggtt ctcctggaga acctggtgca 1440 aatggacttc caggagctgc aggagaaagg ggtatgcctg gattccgagg agctcctgga 1500 gcaaatggcc ttccaggaga aaagggtccc gctggcgagc gcggtggtcc aggccccgca 1560 ggccccagag gagttgccgg agaacctggc cgagatggtg ttcctggagg tccaggattg 1620 aggggcatgc ccggtagccc cggaggacca ggcagtgatg ggaaaccagg acctcctgga 1680 agtcagggag aaagtggtcg accaggtcct ccaggctcac ctggtccccg aggtcagcct 1740 ggagtcatgg gcttccctgg tcctaaagga aatgacggtg ctcctggaaa gaatggagaa 1800 agaggtggcc ctggaggtcc cggccttccg ggtcctcctg gaaagaatgg tgagacagga 1860 cctcagggtc ccccaggacc tactgggcca ggtggtgaca aaggagacac aggaccccct 1920 ggtcaacaag gattacaagg cttgcctgga accagtggtc ctccaggaga aaatggaaaa 1980 cctggtgaac ccggcccaaa aggtgaagct ggtgcacctg gaattccagg aggcaagggt 2040 gattctggtg cccccggtga acgtggacct cctggtgcag taggtccctc aggacctaga 2100 ggtggagctg gcccccctgg tcccgaagga ggaaagggcc ctgctggtcc ccctgggccg 2160 cctggtgccg ctggtacacc tggtctgcaa gggatgcctg gagaaagagg aggttctgga 2220 ggccccggcc caaagggtga caagggtgac cctggcggtt caggtgctga tggtgctcca 2280 ggaaaagatg gtccaagggg tcctactggt cccattggtc cccctggtcc agctggtcag 2340 cctggagata agggtgaaag tggtgcccct ggacttcctg gtatagctgg tcctcgtggt 2400 ggccctggtg agagaggtga acatgggcca ccaggacctg ccggcttccc tggtgctcct 2460 ggccagaacg gtgagcctgg tgccaaagga gaaagaggcg ctcctggtga gaaaggtgaa 2520 ggaggacctc ctgggattgc aggacagccc ggaggcactg ggcctcctgg tccccctggt 2580 ccccaaggtg tcaaaggtga acgtggcagt cctggtggtc ctggtgctgc tgggttcccc 2640 ggtggtcgtg gtcttcctgg tcctcctggc agtaacggta acccaggccc ccctggctcc 2700 agtggtcctc caggcaaaga tggtccccca ggtccacctg gtagcagtgg tgctcctggc 2760 agccctggag tatctggacc gaaaggtgat gccggtcaac caggtgaaaa aggatcacct 2820 ggcccccagg gccctccggg agctccaggc ccaggtggaa tttcagggat tactggagca 2880 cgaggtctcg caggcccacc aggcatgcca ggtgctaggg gaagccctgg cccacagggc 2940 gtcaagggtg aaaatggaaa accaggacct agtggtctca atggagaacg tggtcctcct 3000 ggaccccagg gtcttcctgg tctggctggt gcagctggtg aacctggacg agatggaaac 3060 cctggatcag atggtctgcc aggccgagac ggagctcccg gtagcaaggg cgatcgtggt 3120 gaaaatggct ctcctggtgc ccctggtgct cctggtcacc caggcccacc tggccctgtt 3180 ggtcctgctg gaaagaatgg tgacagagga gaaactggcc ctgctggtcc tgctggtgct 3240 ccaggtcctg ctggttcaag aggtgctcct ggtccccaag gcccacgcgg tgacaaaggt 3300 gaaaccggtg aacgtggtgc taatggcatc aaaggacatc gaggattccc tggtaatcca 3360 ggtgccccag gttctccagg tcccgctggt caccaaggtg cagtaggtag cccaggacct 3420 gcaggcccca gaggacctgt tggaccgagt gggccccctg gcaaagatgg agcaagtgga 3480 caccctggtc ccattggacc accagggcct cgaggtaaca gaggtgaaag aggatctgag 3540 ggctccccag gccatccagg acaaccaggc cctcctggac cccctggtgc ccctggtcca 3600 tgttgtggtg gtggggctgc tgccatcgct ggtgttggag gtgaaaaagc tggtggtttt 3660 gccccatatt atggagatga accaatggat ttcaaaatca acaccgacga gattatgact 3720 tcacttaaat ccgtcaacgg acaaatagaa agcctcatta gtcccgatgg ttctcgtaaa 3780 aaccctgctc gtaactgcag agacctaaaa ttctgccatc ctgagctcaa gagcggagaa 3840 tattgggttg atcctaacca aggctgcaaa atggatgcta ttaaagtatt ttgtaacatg 3900 gaaactgggg aaacatgcat aagtgccagt ccttctactg ttccacgtaa gaactggtgg 3960 acagattctg gtgctgagaa gaaatatgtt tggtttggag aatccatgaa tggtggtttt 4020 cagtttagct atggcaatcc tgaacttcct gaagatgtcc ttgatgtcca gttggcattc 4080 cttcgacttc tctctagccg agcttcccag aacatcacat atcactgcaa gaatagcatt 4140 gcgtacatgg aacatgccag tgggaatgta aagaaagcct tgaggctgat gggatcaaat 4200 gaaggtgaat tcaaggctga aggaaatagc aaattcacat acaccgttct ggaggatggt 4260 tgcactaaac acactgggga atggggcaag acagtcttcg aatatcgaac acgcaaggct 4320 gtgagactac ctattgtaga tattgcaccc tatgatattg gtggtcctga tcaagaattt 4380 ggtgcggaca ttggccctgt ttgcttttta taaaccaaac ctgaattc 4428 12 1466 PRT Sus scrofa 12 Met Met Ser Phe Val Gln Lys Gly Thr Trp Leu Leu Phe Ala Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 His Pro Thr Val Ile Leu Ala Gln Gln Gln Glu Ala Ile Glu Gly Gly 20 25 30 Cys Ser His Leu Gly Gln Ser Tyr Ala Asp Arg Asp Val Trp Lys Pro 35 40 45 Glu Pro Cys Gln Ile Cys Val Cys Asp Ser Gly Ser Val Leu Cys Asp 50 55 60 Asp Ile Ile Cys Asp Asp Gln Glu Leu Asp Cys Pro Asn Pro Glu Ile 65 70 75 80 Pro Phe Gly Glu Cys Cys Ala Val Cys Pro Gln Pro Pro Thr Ala Pro 85 90 95 Thr Arg Pro Pro Asn Gly His Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Lys Gly Asp Pro 100 105 110 Gly Pro Pro Gly Ile Pro Gly Arg Asn Gly Asp Pro Gly Leu Pro Gly 115 120 125 Gln Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ile Cys Glu Ser 130 135 140 Cys Pro Thr Gly Gly Gln Asn Tyr Ser Pro Gln Tyr Glu Ser Tyr Asp 145 150 155 160 Val Lys Ala Gly Val Ala Gly Gly Gly Ile Gly Gly Tyr Pro Gly Pro 165 170 175 Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Val Ser Gly His Pro 180 185 190 Gly Ala Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Tyr Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Glu Pro Gly 195 200 205 Gln Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Ile Gly Pro 210 215 220 Ser Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys Asp Gly Glu Ser Gly Arg Pro Gly Arg Pro 225 230 235 240 Gly Glu Arg Gly Leu Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Leu Lys Gly Pro Ala Gly 245 250 255 Met Pro Gly Phe Pro Gly Met Lys Gly His Arg Gly Phe Asp Gly Arg 260 265 270 Asn Gly Glu Lys Gly Asp Thr Gly Ala Pro Gly Leu Lys Gly Glu Asn 275 280 285 Gly Leu Pro Gly Glu Asn Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Met Gly Pro Arg Gly 290 295 300 Ala Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Arg Pro Gly Leu Pro Gly Ala Ala Gly Ala 305 310 315 320 Arg Gly Asn Asp Gly Ala Arg Gly Ser Asp Gly Gln Pro Gly Pro Pro 325 330 335 Gly Pro Pro Gly Thr Ala Gly Phe Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly 340 345 350 Glu Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Ser Gly Ser Pro Gly Gln 355 360 365 Arg Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly His Ala Gly Ala Ala Gly Pro Pro 370 375 380 Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Asn Gly Ser Pro Gly Gly Lys Gly Glu Met Gly 385 390 395 400 Pro Ala Gly Ile Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Leu Met Gly Ala Arg Gly Pro 405 410 415 Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Thr Asn Gly Ala Pro Gly Gln Arg Gly Ala Ala 420 425 430 Gly Glu Pro Gly Lys Asn Gly Ala Lys Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Arg Gly 435 440 445 Glu Arg Gly Glu Ala Gly Ser Pro Gly Ile Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Glu 450 455 460 Asp Gly Lys Asp Gly Ser Pro Gly Glu Pro Gly Ala Asn Gly Leu Pro 465 470 475 480 Gly Ala Ala Gly Glu Arg Gly Met Pro Gly Phe Arg Gly Ala Pro Gly 485 490 495 Ala Asn Gly Leu Pro Gly Glu Lys Gly Pro Ala Gly Glu Arg Gly Gly 500 505 510 Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Val Ala Gly Glu Pro Gly Arg Asp 515 520 525 Gly Val Pro Gly Gly Pro Gly Leu Arg Gly Met Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly 530 535 540 Gly Pro Gly Ser Asp Gly Lys Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Gln Gly Glu 545 550 555 560 Ser Gly Arg Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Arg Gly Gln Pro 565 570 575 Gly Val Met Gly Phe Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Asn Asp Gly Ala Pro Gly 580 585 590 Lys Asn Gly Glu Arg Gly Gly Pro Gly Gly Pro Gly Leu Pro Gly Pro 595 600 605 Pro Gly Lys Asn Gly Glu Thr Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Thr 610 615 620 Gly Pro Gly Gly Asp Lys Gly Asp Thr Gly Pro Pro Gly Gln Gln Gly 625 630 635 640 Leu Gln Gly Leu Pro Gly Thr Ser Gly Pro Pro Gly Glu Asn Gly Lys 645 650 655 Pro Gly Glu Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Glu Ala Gly Ala Pro Gly Ile Pro 660 665 670 Gly Gly Lys Gly Asp Ser Gly Ala Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Pro Pro Gly 675 680 685 Ala Val Gly Pro Ser Gly Pro Arg Gly Gly Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro 690 695 700 Glu Gly Gly Lys Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Ala 705 710 715 720 Gly Thr Pro Gly Leu Gln Gly Met Pro Gly Glu Arg Gly Gly Ser Gly 725 730 735 Gly Pro Gly Pro Lys Gly Asp Lys Gly Asp Pro Gly Gly Ser Gly Ala 740 745 750 Asp Gly Ala Pro Gly Lys Asp Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro Thr Gly Pro Ile 755 760 765 Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Gln Pro Gly Asp Lys Gly Glu Ser Gly 770 775 780 Ala Pro Gly Leu Pro Gly Ile Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Gly Pro Gly Glu 785 790 795 800 Arg Gly Glu His Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Phe Pro Gly Ala Pro 805 810 815 Gly Gln Asn Gly Glu Pro Gly Ala Lys Gly Glu Arg Gly Ala Pro Gly 820 825 830 Glu Lys Gly Glu Gly Gly Pro Pro Gly Ile Ala Gly Gln Pro Gly Gly 835 840 845 Thr Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Val Lys Gly Glu Arg 850 855 860 Gly Ser Pro Gly Gly Pro Gly Ala Ala Gly Phe Pro Gly Gly Arg Gly 865 870 875 880 Leu Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Asn Gly Asn Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser 885 890 895 Ser Gly Pro Pro Gly Lys Asp Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Pro Gly Ser Ser 900 905 910 Gly Ala Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Val Ser Gly Pro Lys Gly Asp Ala Gly 915 920 925 Gln Pro Gly Glu Lys Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala 930 935 940 Pro Gly Pro Gly Gly Ile Ser Gly Ile Thr Gly Ala Arg Gly Leu Ala 945 950 955 960 Gly Pro Pro Gly Met Pro Gly Ala Arg Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly 965 970 975 Val Lys Gly Glu Asn Gly Lys Pro Gly Pro Ser Gly Leu Asn Gly Glu 980 985 990 Arg Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Leu Pro Gly Leu Ala Gly Ala Ala 995 1000 1005 Gly Glu Pro Gly Arg Asp Gly Asn Pro Gly Ser Asp Gly Leu Pro 1010 1015 1020 Gly Arg Asp Gly Ala Pro Gly Ser Lys Gly Asp Arg Gly Glu Asn 1025 1030 1035 Gly Ser Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly His Pro Gly Pro Pro 1040 1045 1050 Gly Pro Val Gly Pro Ala Gly Lys Asn Gly Asp Arg Gly Glu Thr 1055 1060 1065 Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Ala Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Ser Arg 1070 1075 1080 Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Gln Gly Pro Arg Gly Asp Lys Gly Glu Thr 1085 1090 1095 Gly Glu Arg Gly Ala Asn Gly Ile Lys Gly His Arg Gly Phe Pro 1100 1105 1110 Gly Asn Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly His Gln 1115 1120 1125 Gly Ala Val Gly Ser Pro Gly Pro Ala Gly Pro Arg Gly Pro Val 1130 1135 1140 Gly Pro Ser Gly Pro Pro Gly Lys Asp Gly Ala Ser Gly His Pro 1145 1150 1155 Gly Pro Ile Gly Pro Pro Gly Pro Arg Gly Asn Arg Gly Glu Arg 1160 1165 1170 Gly Ser Glu Gly Ser Pro Gly His Pro Gly Gln Pro Gly Pro Pro 1175 1180 1185 Gly Pro Pro Gly Ala Pro Gly Pro Cys Cys Gly Gly Gly Ala Ala 1190 1195 1200 Ala Ile Ala Gly Val Gly Gly Glu Lys Ala Gly Gly Phe Ala Pro 1205 1210 1215 Tyr Tyr Gly Asp Glu Pro Met Asp Phe Lys Ile Asn Thr Asp Glu 1220 1225 1230 Ile Met Thr Ser Leu Lys Ser Val Asn Gly Gln Ile Glu Ser Leu 1235 1240 1245 Ile Ser Pro Asp Gly Ser Arg Lys Asn Pro Ala Arg Asn Cys Arg 1250 1255 1260 Asp Leu Lys Phe Cys His Pro Glu Leu Lys Ser Gly Glu Tyr Trp 1265 1270 1275 Val Asp Pro Asn Gln Gly Cys Lys Met Asp Ala Ile Lys Val Phe 1280 1285 1290 Cys Asn Met Glu Thr Gly Glu Thr Cys Ile Ser Ala Ser Pro Ser 1295 1300 1305 Thr Val Pro Arg Lys Asn Trp Trp Thr Asp Ser Gly Ala Glu Lys 1310 1315 1320 Lys Tyr Val Trp Phe Gly Glu Ser Met Asn Gly Gly Phe Gln Phe 1325 1330 1335 Ser Tyr Gly Asn Pro Glu Leu Pro Glu Asp Val Leu Asp Val Gln 1340 1345 1350 Leu Ala Phe Leu Arg Leu Leu Ser Ser Arg Ala Ser Gln Asn Ile 1355 1360 1365 Thr Tyr His Cys Lys Asn Ser Ile Ala Tyr Met Glu His Ala Ser 1370 1375 1380 Gly Asn Val Lys Lys Ala Leu Arg Leu Met Gly Ser Asn Glu Gly 1385 1390 1395 Glu Phe Lys Ala Glu Gly Asn Ser Lys Phe Thr Tyr Thr Val Leu 1400 1405 1410 Glu Asp Gly Cys Thr Lys His Thr Gly Glu Trp Gly Lys Thr Val 1415 1420 1425 Phe Glu Tyr Arg Thr Arg Lys Ala Val Arg Leu Pro Ile Val Asp 1430 1435 1440 Ile Ala Pro Tyr Asp Ile Gly Gly Pro Asp Gln Glu Phe Gly Ala 1445 1450 1455 Asp Ile Gly Pro Val Cys Phe Leu 1460 1465 13 20 DNA Homo sapiens 13 ccggctcctg ctcctcttag 20 14 20 DNA Homo sapiens 14 gccaggagca ccagcaatac 20 15 20 DNA Homo sapiens 15 gctgatggac agcctggtgc 20 16 20 DNA Homo sapiens 16 gccctggaag accagctgca 20 17 20 DNA Homo sapiens 17 cctggcctta agggaatgcc 20 18 20 DNA Homo sapiens 18 gcgccaggag aaccgtctcg 20 19 20 DNA Homo sapiens 19 ccgaaggttc ccctggacga 20 20 20 DNA Homo sapiens 20 cggtcatgct ctcgccgaac 20 21 22 DNA Bos taurus 21 ccccagttgt cttacggcta tg 22 22 22 DNA Bos taurus 22 catagccgta agacaactgg gg 22 23 19 DNA Bos taurus 23 ggtagccccg gtgaaaatg 19 24 19 DNA Bos taurus 24 cattttcacc ggggctacc 19 25 20 DNA Bos taurus 25 gccccaaggg taacagcggt 20 26 20 DNA Bos taurus 26 accgctgtta cccttggggc 20 27 22 DNA Bos taurus 27 tcctggccct gctggcccca aa 22 28 22 DNA Bos taurus 28 tttggggcca gcagggccag ga 22 29 22 DNA Bos taurus 29 tggacctaaa ggtgctgctg ga 22 30 22 DNA Bos taurus 30 tccagcagca cctttaggtc ca 22 31 20 DNA Bos taurus 31 gaacagggtg ttcctggaga 20 32 20 DNA Bos taurus 32 tctccaggaa caccctgttc 20 33 18 DNA Bos taurus 33 ggcaaagatg gcgtccgt 18 34 18 DNA Bos taurus 34 acggacgcca tctttgcc 18 35 20 DNA Bos taurus 35 gctaaaggcg aacctggcga 20 36 20 DNA Bos taurus 36 tcgccaggtt cgcctttagc 20 37 21 DNA Bos taurus 37 gccggcaaga gcggtgatcg t 21 38 21 DNA Bos taurus 38 acgatcaccg ctcttgccgg c 21 39 19 DNA Bos taurus 39 cgatggtggc cgctactac 19 40 19 DNA Bos taurus 40 gtagtagcgg ccaccatcg 19 41 23 DNA Bos taurus 41 agagcatgac cgaagggcga att 23 42 23 DNA Bos taurus 42 aattcgccct tcggtcatgc tct 23 43 39 DNA Homo sapiens 43 ttaattccta ggatgttcag ctttgtggac ctccggctc 39 44 32 DNA Homo sapiens 44 tgccactctg actggaagag tggagagtac tg 32 45 45 DNA Homo sapiens 45 ttttcctttt gcggccgctt acaggaagca gacagggcca acgtc 45 46 30 DNA Bos taurus 46 gtcatggtac ctgaggccgt tctgtacgca 30 47 29 DNA Bos taurus 47 acgtcatcgc acagcacgtt gccgttgtc 29 48 34 DNA Bos taurus 48 aggacagtcc ttaagttcgt cgcagatcac gtca 34 49 26 DNA Bos taurus 49 agggaggcca gctgttccag gcaatc 26 50 27 DNA Bos taurus 50 ccgaaggttc ccctggacga gatggtt 27 51 29 DNA Bos taurus 51 cgtggtgaca agggtgagac aggcgaaca 29 52 27 DNA Bos taurus 52 cgggctgatg atgccaatgt ggtccgt 27 53 32 DNA Bos taurus 53 aacatggaaa ccggtgagac ctgtgtatac cc 32 54 25 DNA Homo sapiens 54 gacatgatga gctttgtgca aaagg 25 55 27 DNA Bos taurus 55 tttggtttat aaaaagcaaa cagggcc 27 56 24 DNA Homo sapiens 56 tctcatgtct gatatttaga catg 24 57 26 DNA Bos taurus 57 ggactaatga ggctttctat ttgtcc 26 58 24 DNA Bos taurus 58 ggcaccattc ttaccaggct cacc 24 59 22 DNA Bos taurus 59 tgggtcccgc tggcattcct gg 22 60 23 DNA Bos taurus 60 ccaggacaac caggccctcc tgg 23 61 24 DNA Homo sapiens 61 gacatgttca gctttgtgga cctc 24 62 20 DNA Sus scrofa 62 agtttacagg aagcagacag 20 63 24 DNA Sus scrofa 63 ctacatgtct agggtctaga catg 24 64 24 DNA Sus scrofa 64 aggcgccagg ctcgccaggc tcac 24 65 23 DNA Sus scrofa 65 agttgtctta tggctatgat gag 23 66 24 DNA Homo sapiens 66 gacatgctca gctttgtgga tacg 24 67 23 DNA Sus scrofa 67 agctggacca ggctcaccaa caa 23 68 24 DNA Sus scrofa 68 tggtgctaag ggtgctgctg gcct 24 69 25 DNA Sus scrofa 69 aggttcaccc actgatccag caaca 25 70 25 DNA Sus scrofa 70 tccctctgga gagcctggta ctgct 25 71 25 DNA Sus scrofa 71 tggaagtttg ggttttaaac ttccc 25 72 21 DNA Sus scrofa 72 acacaaggag tctgcatgtc t 21 

What is claimed is:
 1. A composition comprising a recombinant porcine collagen.
 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the recombinant porcine collagen is selected from the group consisting of recombinant porcine type I collagen and recombinant porcine type III collagen.
 3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the recombinant porcine collagen is selected from the group consisting of: (a) recombinant porcine α1(I) collagen; (b) recombinant porcine α2(I) collagen; (c) recombinant porcine α1(III) collagen; and (d) fragments or variants thereof.
 4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the recombinant porcine collagen comprises at least one polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: (a) SEQ ID NO:8; (b) SEQ ID NO:10; (c) SEQ ID NO:12; and (d) fragments or variants thereof.
 5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the recombinant porcine collagen is encoded by a polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of: (a) SEQ ID NO:7; (b) SEQ ID NO:9; (c) SEQ ID NO:11; and (d) fragments or variants thereof.
 6. A recombinant porcine collagen of one type of collagen free of any other type of collagen.
 7. A composition comprising a recombinant porcine gelatin.
 8. The composition of claim 7, wherein the recombinant porcine gelatin is obtained from recombinant porcine collagen.
 9. The composition of claim 8, wherein the recombinant porcine collagen is selected from the group consisting of recombinant porcine type I collagen and recombinant porcine type III collagen.
 10. The composition of claim 7, wherein the recombinant porcine gelatin is produced directly from an altered collagen construct.
 11. The composition of claim 7, wherein the recombinant porcine gelatin is obtained from one type of recombinant porcine collagen free of any other type of collagen.
 12. The composition of claim 7, wherein the recombinant porcine gelatin is obtained from a recombinant porcine collagen comprising a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: (a) recombinant porcine α1(I) collagen; (b) recombinant porcine α2(I) collagen; (c) recombinant porcine α1(III) collagen; and (d) fragments or variants thereof.
 13. The composition of claim 7, wherein the recombinant porcine gelatin is obtained from a recombinant porcine collagen comprising a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: (a) SEQ ID NO:8; (b) SEQ ID NO:10; (c) SEQ ID NO:12; and (d) fragments or variants thereof.
 14. The composition of claim 7, wherein the recombinant porcine gelatin is obtained from a recombinant porcine collagen comprising a polypeptide encoded by a polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of: (a) SEQ ID NO:7; (b) SEQ ID NO:9; (c) SEQ ID NO:11; and (d) fragments or variants thereof.
 15. An isolated and purified polypeptide comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of: (e) SEQ ID NO:8; (f) SEQ ID NO:10; (g) SEQ ID NO:12; and (h) fragments or variants thereof.
 16. An isolated and purified polynucleotide comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of: (a) SEQ ID NO:7; (b) SEQ ID NO:9; (c) SEQ ID NO:11; and (d) fragments and variants thereof.
 17. A recombinant host cell comprising the polynucleotide of claim
 16. 18. A transgenic animal comprising the polynucleotide of claim
 16. 19. A transgenic plant comprising the polynucleotide of claim
 16. 20. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a recombinant porcine collagen.
 21. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a recombinant porcine gelatin.
 22. A method for producing a recombinant porcine collagen, the method comprising: (a) introducing into a host cell at least one polynucleotide encoding a porcine collagen; (b) culturing the host cell under conditions suitable for expression; and (c) recovering the recombinant porcine collagen.
 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one polynucleotide comprises a sequence encoding a porcine collagen selected from the group consisting of: (a) porcine type I collagen; (b) porcine type III collagen; (c) porcine type I procollagen; (d) porcine type III procollagen; and (e) fragments and variants thereof.
 24. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one polynucleotide comprises a sequence encoding a porcine collagen selected from the group consisting of: (a) porcine α1(I) collagen; (b) porcine α2(I) collagen; (c) porcine α1(III) collagen; and (d) fragments or variants thereof.
 25. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one polynucleotide comprises a sequence encoding a porcine collagen selected from the group consisting of: (a) SEQ ID NO:8; (b) SEQ ID NO:10; (c) SEQ ID NO:12; and (d) fragments or variants thereof.
 26. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one polynucleotide comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of: (a) SEQ ID NO:7; (b) SEQ ID NO:9; (c) SEQ ID NO:11; and (d) fragments and variants thereof
 27. The method of claim 22, wherein the host cell is selected from the group consisting of a prokaryotic cell, a eukaryotic cell, an animal cell, a yeast cell, a plant cell, an insect cell, and a fungal cell.
 28. A method for producing a recombinant porcine collagen, the method comprising: (a) introducing into a host cell at least one polynucleotide encoding a porcine collagen, and at least one polynucleotide encoding a post-translational enzyme important to the biosynthesis of collagen; (b) culturing the host cell under conditions suitable for expression; and (c) isolating the recombinant porcine collagen.
 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the post-translational enzyme is selected from the group consisting of prolyl hydroxylase, lysyl hydroxylase, and lysyl oxidase.
 30. A method for producing a recombinant porcine gelatin, the method comprising: (a) providing recombinant porcine collagen; and (b) obtaining the recombinant porcine gelatin therefrom.
 31. A method for producing a recombinant porcine gelatin, the method comprising: (a) producing recombinant porcine gelatin directly from an altered porcine collagen construct; and (b) isolating the recombinant porcine gelatin.
 32. A hard gel capsule comprising a recombinant porcine gelatin.
 33. A soft gel capsule comprising a recombinant porcine gelatin.
 34. An edible composition comprising a recombinant porcine gelatin.
 35. A protein supplement comprising a recombinant porcine gelatin.
 36. A nutraceutical comprising a recombinant porcine gelatin.
 37. An injectable composition comprising a recombinant porcine gelatin. 